Online Reporter
Danisa Masuku
A CHILL beer run turned into a bloody nightmare for two brothers after a vicious bottle store brawl erupted at Jongela Business Centre in Nkayi, leaving one stabbed and another bleeding from a cracked skull.
Thabo Zigambwe (23) nearly lost his life after he was stabbed in the arm and thigh, while his brother Calden Mpofu was smashed on the head with a beer bottle in a violent altercation that left villagers in shock.
The suspects, Bhekizwe Nyathi and Sipho Moyo, are now behind bars following the grisly fight that turned the bottle store into a free-for-all fiasco.
Matabeleland North Provincial police spokesperson Inspector Glory Banda confirmed the arrests.
“We confirm the arrest of two men who are accused of stabbing one villager and attacking another with a broken beer bottle. We urge members of the community to solve disputes peacefully. Resorting to violence can easily lead to loss of life,” said Insp Banda.
Zigambwe, still nursing his wounds, recounted how the chaos unfolded.
“I was at the counter buying beer when Bhekizwe stormed in and accused me of wronging him last year in December. I told him I didn’t know what he was talking about,” said Thabo.
“Before I could walk away, he pulled out an okapi knife from his trouser pocket and without warning, stabbed me in the left arm and thigh. I collapsed to the ground, bleeding heavily and blacked out,” he said. “A villager poured water on me, and I regained consciousness while I was being taken to hospital.”
His brother Calden tried to intervene and got a bottle to the skull for his troubles.
“Sipho, who was standing nearby, grabbed an empty beer bottle and charged at my brother. He smashed it right onto his head. The bottle shattered, and blood gushed out like a burst pipe,” said Zigambwe.
The brothers were rushed to a local clinic before being transferred to Nkayi District Hospital for further treatment.
Locals who witnessed the violent scenes say the confrontation was like a street fight on steroids, with beer flying, villagers screaming, and blood painting the dusty ground.
“What shocked us is that this beef goes way back to last year. But to stab and smash someone over a past grudge?
That’s madness,” said a stunned villager who asked not to be named.
Police investigations are ongoing, and the suspects are expected to appear in court soon.
Beer may be cold, but this beef boiled over with blood, broken bottles, and near-death violence.
