Online Reporter
Danisa Masuku
A BULAWAYO man met his gruesome death after being accused of stealing a cellphone from a reveller at a sports bar in Nkenyane, along the Bulawayo-Nkayi Road. What started as a beer-driven argument turned into a brutal mob attack that ended with the man stabbed multiple times and left to die on the roadside.
The incident happened over the weekend and has sent shockwaves through the community, with terrified residents now fearing for their own safety.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Nomalanga Msebele confirmed the murder and said the victim’s body was discovered opposite a local sports bar.
“We can confirm that a man was found dead on the road directly opposite a sports bar in Nkenyane. The people who murdered him have not yet been identified and investigations are underway,” she said.
Inspector Msebele urged members of the public not to take the law into their own hands.
“We want to strongly warn residents against mob justice. These actions often result in the unnecessary loss of life, as we have seen in this tragic case,” she added.
A witness, Nomathemba Moyo, who works near the bar, said the deceased, identified as Bongani Khanye, had a heated exchange with a man inside the bar over a missing cellphone. Moments later, a group of six men stormed the bar, found Bongani drinking, and viciously assaulted him. “They stabbed him several times. It was horrifying. I saw the knives and I just ran. I don’t know who those men are, but they looked dangerous,” she said.
Another witness, Herman Rushambwe, said he saw the commotion from a distance while working nearby.
“I was busy on the farm and saw people fighting, but I could not clearly see their faces,” he said. Local resident Sehliselo Sibanda said fear has gripped the area.
“People here are scared. Those men could come back and harm others. We are not safe,” he said.
Police are appealing for information to help identify the attackers and bring them to justice.
