Daughter chops mother with machete

A 30-year-old woman from Ntabazinduna, Aydah Tshuma, has been found guilty of hacking her 58-year-old mother, Reginah Tshuma, with a machete.

The attack occurred on July 4 following a heated argument over a child’s birth certificate.

The document was reportedly needed for legal action after Aydah’s daughter was allegedly sexually abused.

After supper that evening, Aydah again demanded the birth certificate. Reginah insisted she did not have it and told her daughter to look for it herself.

Court papers state that Aydah then went outside, returned with a machete and attacked her mother. Reginah sustained severe cuts on both hands as she tried to shield herself.

The blow fractured her right wrist, with the bone left protruding. Reginah’s grandchildren ran to fetch a neighbour, who then alerted the police.

In court, magistrate Taurai Manuere told Aydah: “The weapon you used was dangerous. You put too much force into it and it was a fatal blow.”

Aydah responded by saying: “I had not intended to kill her; I only wanted to inflict pain.”

The magistrate found her guilty of assault, but acquitted her of attempted murder under Section 69 of the Criminal Law Codification. The sentencing was scheduled for a later day. — Bulawayo Bureau

**********

Elderly caretaker attacked with axe over intimacy

Police in Bulawayo are investigating a case of attempted murder after an elderly caretaker was struck in the neck with an axe by a woman who had allegedly demanded sex from him.

The incident occurred around 5pm on Sunday, August 10, at a plot in Kensington, where the 85-year-old man works.

According to Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, a woman “known facially by the complainant” entered the caretaker’s room and made the demand.

“The complainant refused and this did not go down well with the accused person, who then picked up an axe that was in the room and struck the complainant once on the neck,” said Insp Msebele.

The blow left the victim with “a deep cut on the right side of the neck”.

He reported the matter to the police before being taken to hospital by ambulance.

Police have warned against violent confrontations.

“We warn members of the public to desist from violence but solve disputes peacefully,” Insp Msebele said.

She appealed to anyone with information on the suspect’s whereabouts to report to the nearest police station. — Bulawayo Bureau

**********

Mechanic sells client’s wheels to pay rent

A Bulawayo-based mechanic found himself in a tight corner after selling a client’s wheels for US$680 and vanished.

Mukanwa Mathe (33), of Thorngrove, was hauled before Tredgold magistrate Maxwell Ncube, who slapped him with a US$300 fine.

If he fails to pay, he will spend three months behind bars.

In addition, Mathe was ordered to pay US$680, the full value of the wheels.

The court heard that in June, Mathe received four wheels from Gibson Sithole, who had brought them for repairs.

But instead of doing the job, Mathe quietly sold the wheels and disappeared.

Prosecutor Mehluli Ndlovu told the court that Mathe used the money to cover his personal expenses.

“Accused person used the proceeds to pay rent and other bills. He claimed he intended to pay the complainant once he had the money, but things did not go according to plan,” said Ndlovu.

Unfortunately for Sithole, none of the wheels were recovered and he was left high and dry.

Mathe’s ploy of dodging consequences fell flat like a punctured tyre, as the long arm of the law finally caught up with him. — B-Metro

********** 

Wife arrested for allegedly shoving hubby into fireplace

A blazing argument took a horrifying turn in Nyamandlovu when a furious wife allegedly shoved her husband into a fireplace, accusing him of infidelity after he returned home in the dead of the night.

Makabongwe Ngwenya (42), from Village 7B in Igusu, appeared in court after reportedly attempting to burn her 58-year-old husband, Smart Bhebhe, in a domestic confrontation.

Ngwenya was brought before Tredgold magistrate Gwazemba, who remanded her in custody as investigations into the matter continue.

Prosecutor Sibusisiwe Sithole told the court that the incident occurred on August 2. Bhebhe had just returned from the shops and was preparing to sleep in their kitchen hut when the confrontation erupted.

Consumed by suspicion and rage, Ngwenya confronted him over his late-night arrival, accusing him of cheating.

It was around 2am, and instead of having a quiet end to the day, Bhebhe found himself engulfed in a storm of accusations.

According to Bhebhe’s testimony, the couple was in their kitchen when the conversation began, but it quickly spiralled out of control.

“She accused me of being unfaithful. Then she started shouting that she wanted to kill me,” Bhebhe told the court.

In a fit of rage, Ngwenya allegedly grabbed him and shoved his face and head into the open fire.

He screamed in agony as flames scorched his face and the right side of his body.

Wounded and in excruciating pain, Bhebhe scrambled out of the fire and escaped his wife’s wrath. He spent the rest of the night nursing his burns, alone and in agony.

At daybreak, he sent one of his children to fetch their neighbour Butholezwe Phuthi.

Shocked by what he saw, Phuthi urged Bhebhe to report the incident to Igusu Police Station.

Ngwenya was arrested and now faces serious charges relating to the attack. — Bulawayo Bureau

**********

Cop bashed for playing peacemaker

A police officer’s relaxation day turned violent after he was punched in the face and stomped on while trying to break up a bar fight in Mpopoma suburb, Bulawayo.

Constable Howard Chirowodza, who was off-duty and dressed in civilian clothes, had just finished watching a match at a local sports bar when chaos erupted.

A rowdy patron, identified only as Prince, reportedly went on the rampage, picking fights with everyone in sight.

“He was shouting and threatening people, saying he could beat everyone up.

“Then he just started swinging punches at anyone who came near him,” said a witness.

Chirowodza, seeing the mayhem, attempted to restore order. But instead of receiving respect for his role as a police officer, he was met with violence.

“Prince was in an uncompromising mood. He did not hesitate.

“He charged at Chirowodza and punched him square in the face. Blood gushed from his nose as he crashed to the ground,” the witness continued.

“Then Prince stomped on him while he was down.”

It took the courage of several bystanders to pull Prince off the injured officer.

Chirowodza reportedly suffered neck injuries and was left shaken and bruised.

The suspect fled the scene soon after the attack and remains at large.

The incident was reported to Western Commonage Police Station, but as of publication time, no arrests had been made.

Police are actively searching for the fugitive and have urged anyone with information to come forward. — B-Metro