Online Reporter
A SEEMINGLY innocuous stare sparked a violent frenzy in broad daylight outside a church, leaving a young man in critical condition after being stabbed five times.
Thembani Hadebe (22) appeared before Magistrate Sibongile Marondedze on attempted murder charges following the near-fatal knife attack.
Prosecutor Milton Moyo said on April 20, 2025, around 6pm, Hadebe allegedly fixed an unblinking gaze on Bongani Nyamambo (22) near the main gate of Sengwayo Church in Lobengula Extension.
Feeling uneasy, Nyamambo reportedly asked: “Why are you looking at me like that?” This question instantly ignited a clash.
The court heard that tempers flared and fists flew, with Hadebe slapping Nyamambo’s head and ear before fleeing the scene. A furious and wounded Nyamambo gave chase and caught up with Hadebe.
During the struggle to break free, Hadebe allegedly drew an Okapi knife and stabbed Nyamambo five times: once on the shoulder, twice in the chest and twice in the abdomen.
Bystanders intervened, restraining Hadebe and handing him over to officers from Njube police.
Nyamambo was rushed to Mpilo Hospital, where he remains in critical condition, fighting for his life.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the local community, with many stunned that a simple glance could lead to such brutal violence.
Ms Marondedze postponed the matter to a later date for the continuation of the trial. — B-Metro
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Shopper knocks out cashier’s tooth in payment spat
Tshabalala suburb was recently rocked by a dramatic incident, when what should have been a routine grocery run ended in a courtroom saga.
Kudzai Bamu (37) is accused of brutally assaulting supermarket employee Tawanda Nyenge (48), allegedly leaving him with a missing tooth and a shocking story.
The incident reportedly occurred on May 10, 2025 at Basic Supermarket. A disagreement over loose change during a transaction allegedly escalated into full-blown violence.
According to prosecutor Tafara Dzimbanhete, the altercation began when Bamu became agitated during payment.
Voices were raised and tempers flared. Before anyone could intervene, Bamu allegedly “lost his cool” and delivered a series of stinging slaps on Nyenge’s face.
The blows were reportedly fast and hard, catching the cashier off-guard. By the time the assault ended, Nyenge is said to have lost one of his front teeth and was left clutching his swollen face in shock and pain.
The incident caused a stir among shoppers; some reportedly fled the store in fear, while others pulled out their phones to record the chaos.
Nyenge was rushed for medical attention and later reported the matter to the police, leading to Bamu’s arrest.
The case was brought before Western Commonage Regional Court magistrate Mr Archie Wochiwunga.
The trial was postponed to a later date for continuation, with Bamu facing charges relating to assault and causing bodily harm.
In response to the incident, Basic Supermarket has reportedly beefed up security at its tills to prevent similar occurrences. — Bulawayo Bureau
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Dead man ‘speaks’ from the grave
A startling accusation from beyond the grave has rocked a community court in Mutasa, as a deceased man, Erick Makoni, purportedly claims his daughter-in-law killed him with an illicit brew laced with poisoned sugar nearly three decades ago.
This sensational allegation emerged during a recent session at Chief Mutasa’s community court.
The dramatic proceedings were initiated by Peter Masvaure of Bocha, who brought his in-laws, the Makoni family of Honde Valley, to court.
Peter accused them of falsely implicating his sister, Lucia Masvaure, in the death of her father-in-law, Erick Makoni.
“My sister, Lucia, married into the Makoni family and stayed with them for a while. However, she later returned home, distressed and emotionally shattered, alleging that her in-laws had accused her of killing their father,” Peter told the court.
“Subsequently, Monica Makoni, Lucia’s sister-in-law, began to exhibit spiritual manifestations, claiming that Lucia had murdered their father.”
Peter recounted his attempts to get to the bottom of the allegations.
“When we travelled to Honde Valley to address the matter, Monica again manifested, claiming that the spirit of their late father had possessed her and was demanding justice.
“The spirit accused my sister of lacing his illicit brew with poisoned sugar. I requested the spirit to manifest through a member of my own family for fairness and the spirit agreed. However, to date, we are yet to witness this manifestation within my family,” he said.
The matter was then referred to the traditional court.
During the proceedings, Monica again appeared allegedly possessed.
“I challenged the manifestation, requesting it to transfer to my daughter, but it failed to do so,” Peter said.
Lucia’s sister, Edna Masvaure, also testified, emphasising the prolonged emotional and social distress their family had endured.
“We have lived under a cloud of shame and harassment. Our sister has been treated like a criminal without evidence. These accusations are haunting all of us.”
Erick Makoni’s purported spirit, manifesting through Monica in a trance-like state, insisted on Lucia’s culpability.
“I was killed by Lucia, my son’s wife, in 1995. I had asked her for sugar to put in my chikokiyana (illicit brew). She gave me the sugar, and from that moment, my stomach began to ache terribly. I died shortly after. The brew had been purchased by my wife and I only drank it the next day. It was sour, so I asked for sugar. That is what killed me,” claimed the spirit.
Chief Mutasa interjected, cautioning the court about the dangers of consuming chikokiyana, a potent and illicit home-brewed alcoholic beverage.
“Chikokiyana is essentially ethanol. If consumed excessively, it becomes lethal. Some individuals mix it with sugar, fertiliser or wild plant juices. If you overdose, your intestines can rupture. It is a dangerous and often fatal concoction. But Erick, are you absolutely certain it was the sugar that killed you, and not the alcohol?” the chief queried.
In response, the spirit reiterated its claim: “I am certain, it was the sugar. It contained strange black and yellow particles. That is what took my life, not the brew.”
Chief Mutasa then warned the spirit to stop tormenting the Makoni family and instead confront the Masvaures directly if they were indeed responsible for his death.
Lucia’s husband, Robert Makoni, strongly contested the spirit’s claims, expressing his belief that the manifestations were orchestrated by his siblings rather than his late father.
“My mother sent someone with the brew to my father, and indeed, he requested sugar. However, he consumed the brew on the same day, not the following day, as what the alleged spirit is claiming.
“I recall asking him to share the brew with me, but he refused. The next day, he fell ill, but he did not disclose the symptoms to anyone. After he passed away, my mother asserted that he had told her that the sugar was the cause of his death.
“Years later, my sister, Monica, began manifesting. Frankly, if this is indeed a spirit, I am convinced it is not my father’s spirit,” argued Robert.
He further recounted an incident that solidified his doubts.
“I recall an incident where I deceived my brother by telling him that I had seen a giant snake crawling on the wall, merely to tease him and verify whether they were indeed spreading falsehoods about my wife.
“I was astonished when my mother, claiming to be possessed by my father’s spirit, began asserting that he had sent a snake to me that crawled on the wall. That was when I realised these manifestations were being manipulated,” he revealed.
Chipo Makoni, another family member, corroborated that she had delivered the brew to her father and maintained that it had not been tampered with.
“My mother gave me the brew to hand to my father. Nothing was added to it. There was no poison,” she said.
With the court deeply divided and key parties absent, Chief Mutasa adjourned the matter to a later date.
He instructed that the mother from the Makoni family be summoned to testify. Her testimony is expected to shed light on the origin of the accusations and determine whether her husband’s spirit genuinely holds Lucia responsible for his death. — Manica Post
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter