Bulawayo Businessman stabbed to death at gate to his home

A CITY businessman, Mr Calisto Muzumbi, was last night knifed to death by three unknown assailants in front of his Entumbane house in a suspected failed robbery.

According to his brother and family spokesperson, Clatos, the slain businessman was ambushed in front of his gate by three persons at around 11pm last night.

Calisto operated a hardware shop in the city centre, a furniture and hardware shop at Entumbane Complex as well as a supermarket at Zothile Shopping Centre, a stone’s throw from his house.

“He had just parked his car in front of the gate and was attempting to open the sliding gate when the assailants struck. Being close to the shopping centre, the place is usually a hive of activity, especially human traffic so when neighbours heard the scuffle, they thought it was the usual noise,” said Clatos.

He said it was when his brother screamed ‘amasela’ that neighbours suddenly realised that it was not ordinary noise but an attempted case of robbery.

“Some opened their windows but at that time my brother had been stabbed although he was still holding on to his bag which the assailants were trying to wrestle from him. Upon noticing that neighbours had lit the lights in their homes, the assailants then abandoned their robbery act and took to their heels, leaving Calisto bleeding,” said Clatos.

The now-deceased man managed to struggle up, balancing himself on the house wall until he got to the back door leading to the kitchen where he called out to his wife to open the door.

When the wife opened, the deceased handed her the bag before instructing her to get back into the house and lock the doors.

He had with him a red woollen hat, believed to have been dropped by one of the assailants, with an engraved black star.

“As soon as the wife took the bag, Calisto fell down and was never to stand again. With the assistance of some neighbours, they managed to lift him up to the car outside so that they rush him to the hospital but somehow the car couldn’t start which forced them to go and take another car at the car park, after they had phoned my other younger brother,” said Clatos.

He said they managed to rush him to Mpilo Hospital but it was too late as he breathed his last upon arrival at the health facility.

Calisto’s blood stained car was pushed to the nearby car park while his Entumbane shop was closed with vendors saying a crack homicide team has already surveyed the inside of the shop for possible leads as it is believed there Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras.

Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said they had not received an official statement as yet.

Clatos leaves behind a wife and four sons.

Mourners are gathered at House Number 30185/16 Entumbane.