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A FORT RIXON man, Israel Chisago, allegedly chopped his two-week-old daughter into four pieces with a kitchen knife after a heated argument with his wife over a meal of isitshwala/sadza served with okra instead of meat.
Chisago appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Evia Matura on murder charges.
He was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody.
The gory incident occurred at the couple’s home.
Chisago and his wife Ellinah Mathobela reportedly had an altercation over a plate of the slippery delicacy.
“He was angry that I gave him isitshwala/sadza with idelele (okra). He shouted that I was disrespecting him. I tried to explain there was no meat in the house since he had not bought it, but he could not hear it,” said Mathobela in a trembling voice.
As tempers flared, Chisago allegedly grabbed a kitchen knife and charged at his wife.
Fearing for her life, Mathobela bolted from the room and sought refuge at a neighbour’s house.
In her desperate rush to escape, she left behind their new-born baby.
“He chased me all the way, but I managed to get to a neighbour’s house and hid there,” she recounted.
Consumed by rage, Chisago is said to have returned home.
What he allegedly did next defies belief.
The court heard how Chisago allegedly grabbed the baby, took her to the kitchen and slit her throat.
He then proceeded to cut her tiny body into four pieces, leaving the remains strewn across the kitchen floor.
“When I came back with two male neighbours to check on the child, what we saw is something I will never forget. My baby was in four pieces. It was like a horror movie. Blood was everywhere,” said Mathobela, as she sobbed uncontrollably.
Neighbours were left traumatised and the authorities called to the gruesome scene were equally shaken.
Police confirmed the baby had been dismembered using a kitchen knife, with body parts discovered in different corners of the kitchen floor.
Mathobela described her husband as a soft-spoken and respectful man, stating: “He was never violent. He loved our baby. I still do not understand what came over him. Maybe it was the stress, maybe something snapped. But I never imagined he could do something this monstrous.”
The community of Keshambe area, where the couple lived, remains in shock.
They are still struggling to understand how a domestic dispute could escalate to such levels of depravity. — Bulawayo Bureau
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Machete-wielding robbers make off with tobacco bales
In a recent daring heist, five machete-wielding robbers raided Riplemade Farm in Rusape, overpowering a security guard and making off with 12 bales of tobacco.
Acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka confirmed the incident.
Police say on Monday Simbarashe Kamunhukamwe (38) reported for duty as a security guard at the premises.
At approximately 11pm, he was confronted by five unknown men wearing balaclavas and armed with machetes.
“After overpowering (the guard), the suspects pushed him into the guardroom and started assaulting him. They searched his pockets and took his cellphone and keys to the main gate. One of the assailants then produced a sharp object and stabbed Kamunhukamwe in the back before tying his hands and feet with a rope,” said Asst Insp Chinyoka.
The suspects then drove an unidentified vehicle to one of the grading sheds, where they loaded 12 bales of tobacco before speeding off.
“After the suspects fled, Kamunhukamwe managed to hop to the nearby farm where he alerted Uriri Uriri (48) about the robbery,” added Asst Insp Chinyoka.
The matter was reported to ZRP (Zimbabwe Republic Police) Rusape Urban, whose officers attended the scene and found vehicle tyre marks leading towards the Mutare-Harare highway.
The total value of the stolen tobacco is estimated at US$7 039. Nothing has been recovered. — Manica Post
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Primary school teacher’s death shocks community
A quiet morning at Kwite Primary School in Mangwe dramatically turned nightmarish on July 3 when a Grade Five teacher Shelton Kasere Lubimbi (34) was found hanging inside his quarters.
His body was found dangling from a roof truss during break time, around 10am, by a colleague.
Lubimbi only left behind a piece of paper with contact numbers for relatives.
There was no written explanation or farewell.
The matter was reported to Mangwe Police Station.
The body was later taken to the Plumtree Hospital mortuary for post-mortem.
Matabeleland South police spokesperson Inspector Chiratidzo Dube confirmed the incident and urged communities not to ignore signs of distress.
“We urge people to take mental health seriously and engage in open conversations. If someone shows suicidal tendencies, do not brush it off. Seek professional counselling and support,” she emphasised.
Investigations are underway to uncover what pushed Lubimbi to take his life. — B-Metro
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Joyride betrayal leads to employee’s arrest
A seemingly simple errand ended in betrayal, a police chase and 630 hours of community service for a Bulawayo man who could not resist the temptation to take his employer’s car for a spin.
Kwanele Moyo (39) of Nkulumane 5 was convicted of stealing his employer’s silver Honda Fit, valued at US$3 700, in a scene reminiscent of a low-budget action movie.
Appearing before Tredgold magistrate Shingirai Mutiri, Moyo was initially handed a 24-month sentence.
However, six months were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour, while the remaining 18 months were commuted to 630 hours of community service.
The court heard how on May 7, 2025, Mabasa Makotire, who had entrusted Moyo to assist with errands, was left stunned when his employee turned into a runaway driver.
“While on the way to Happy Valley Tavern, Moyo asked to drive,” revealed Prosecutor Dominic Moyo.
“Makotire agreed. Once they got there, Moyo asked him to buy beer and meat for a braai. As soon as Makotire stepped out, Moyo vanished with the car.”
What was meant to be a laid-back afternoon quickly turned into a nightmare.
Makotire tried calling, but received no answer. He searched in vain before heading to the police.
But the long arm of the law eventually caught up with the runaway driver.
On May 8, detectives from Plumtree, acting on a tip-off, successfully cornered Moyo near Chicken Inn in Plumtree while he was cruising in the stolen Honda Fit.
He was immediately arrested.
Now Moyo, who traded trust for a quick thrill, will be scrubbing walls and sweeping streets instead of riding in style. — Bulawayo Bureau
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