Online Reporter
Londiwe Moyo, Sunday News Reporter
A BULAWAYO family has expressed outrage after a man was allegedly attacked and stabbed by her stepfather, with relatives claiming the suspect is still walking free and openly boasting that his connections will shield him from arrest.
The alleged victim, Ms Viola Moyo, is said to have been stabbed in the stomach by her stepfather, Mr Smart Dube, at the family home in Nkulumane, where she had returned to care for her ailing mother, Ms Angela Moyo.
A distant relative, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the troubled relationship between Dube and Moyo dated back decades, with the family first becoming aware of alleged abuse in 1993.
The relative claimed Dube had allegedly impregnated Moyo while she was staying at the family’s home in Nkulumane.
“Smart has always been on Viola’s case since she was young. As a family, we first learnt about the abuse in 1993 when he is believed to have impregnated her while she was staying at the family home in Nkulumane,” said the relative.
The relative said Moyo later relocated to the informal settlement of Ngozi Mine in Bulawayo in an effort to escape what was described as Dube’s alleged mistreatment.
However, she reportedly returned to Nkulumane in 2023 to care for her ailing mother, where the relative said the latest alleged attack occurred.
“It was after she came back in 2023 to look after her mother that Smart later attacked and stabbed her in the stomach,” said the relative.
The family is now questioning why Dube remains at liberty following the alleged assault, with the relative claiming that he has been boasting that he has influential connections and will not be arrested.
“He is still walking around freely and even boasts that he will not be arrested because of the connections he has,” said the relative.
The relative further alleged that the hostility towards Moyo had been reinforced by members of the extended family, who allegedly sided with Dube over the years.
“So toxic is this relationship that even the wider family has always supported Smart. That is why they covered up what happened in 1993,” said the relative.
The relative also alleged that some family members had influenced Moyo’s 20-year-old son against his mother.
“They have even gone to the extent of convincing her son, since age 17, to turn against his mother. Some members of the family have even accused her of being a lesbian,” said the relative.
The allegations have reportedly deepened divisions within the family, with relatives expressing concern over what they described as longstanding abuse and intimidation.
The claims could not independently be verified, and there was no immediate response from Dube to the allegations.
Police confirmation on whether a report had been made, whether investigations were underway and the circumstances surrounding the alleged stabbing was also not immediately available.
The family is calling for the matter to be investigated and for Moyo to receive protection following the alleged assault.
