Drunk man beaten to death after storming into house

Danisa Masuku

A SHIRTLESS, drunk intruder, in Bulawayo, who claimed he just wanted to bathe met a gruesome end after he was beaten to death by a group of men who assumed he was a rapist or thief!

Gabriel Moyo stumbled into a home in Nkulumane suburb, half-naked and reeking of alcohol — and seconds later, he was dead in a pool of blood.

Five men — Fungai Guduza, Melusi Ncube, Edwin and Luckson Maphosa, and Ayanda Ndlovu — were dragged to the Bulawayo High Court facing murder charges over the incident.

But in a dramatic turn, Justice Ngoni Nduna acquitted them, saying their defence was solid.

The court heard that on 21 May 2021 around 5:30PM, tenant Mercy Moyo was alone at home when Gabriel suddenly bolted out of the toilet and stormed into the kitchen, claiming he wanted to heat water for a bath.

When Mercy asked what he was doing, he allegedly became aggressive and threatened to assault her.

Terrified and fearing rape, she screamed — and in seconds, a vigilante squad of five neighbours charged in, armed with a sjambok, hosepipe, and sticks.

They took turns whipping and beating the intruder, leaving him badly bruised and bleeding. He died on the way to hospital.

Police arrested the five men, but the judge ruled they acted in panic and genuine fear that the woman was under attack.