Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Check Point Desk
BEWILDERMENT, disbelief and grief were the overwhelming feelings in Madlambudzi area in Bulilima District, Matabeleland South Province, last week when Phamani Sibanda went on a rampage on Wednesday and reportedly gruesomely killed five fellow villagers in a three-hour savage spree.
A dark cloud hung over the Bellas village in particular, where four of Sibanda’s alleged victims came from, with villagers trying to make sense of the actions of Sibanda, who is suspected to be mentally challenged.
When the Sunday News crew visited the area on Friday, shell shocked villagers were still counting their losses.
Bewilderment, grief and outright anger were the emotions prevalent in the area, as the community tried to come to terms with an indiscriminate killing spree that saw Sibanda kill both the young and old.
Among his victims were a six-year-old child and a 101-year-old man.
The five victims have since been identified by their next of kin and are named as Elliot Khupe (101), a male adult of Bellas Village, Madlambuzi, Butho Tshuma (97), a female adult of Bellas Village, Madlambuzi, Constance Sibanda (66), a female adult of Bellas Village, Madlambuzi, Tiffan Surprise Ndlovu (six), a female juvenile of Bellas Village, Madlambuzi and Catra Matsika (72), of Central Village, Madlambuzi.
Villagers said on the eve of the massacre, Sibanda had gone to Madlambudzi Clinic to seek medication for his condition, but was told that there were no supplies, with nurses telling him that they would liaise with Plumtree District Hospital.
“The following day, just before midday, he started being violent towards his family members and sensing danger his brother who is also a village head, locked him in one of the huts and rushed to make a report to the police,” said a villager Mr Mncedisi Nyathi.
While the brother Mr Sylvester Sibanda was on his way to the police, about 3km away, Phamani broke free from the hut and armed himself with a mopani tree log, stormed into the 101-year-old Khupe’s homestead.
The now deceased Khupe was with his 90-year-old wife.
Phamani beat the elderly couple to a pulp, Khupe died on the spot while his wife is battling for life at Plumtree District Hospital.
“I heard a voice screaming but never thought much of it as there was some music playing. However, the sound of the scream still made me suspicious as to what could be happening to my neighbours,” said the neighbour who identified herself as MaDube.
MaDube said upon arriving at Khupe’s homestead, she was met with horror. Khupe’s body lay lifeless in the middle of his yard, his head severely mutilated while the wife was a few metres from him.
“Ugogo then made a very low moan and that is when I realised that she was alive. To be honest, this will haunt me for life, I don’t even know what I should do to erase or try to, those horrific images that are still vivid in my mind,” said MaDube.
All Khupe’s children are based in South Africa.
After he was done with the Khupes, Phamani left and about 500 metres away, found 97-year-old Tshuma seated outside one of their huts with her daughter in-law, Sibanda (66) while six year-old Tiffan, whose mother is in India, was playing nearby, with her five-year- old sister.
In a fit of rage, he allegedly attacked the two, killing them instantly, right in full view of the toddlers.
“The two children tried to run away but this monster caught up with Tiffan just behind the hut and struck her once on the head,” said a teary Ms Nokuthaba Moyo, another family daughter-in-law, mother to the five-year-old.
Ms Moyo was the first to arrive at the homestead and found her in-laws and niece’s bodies lifeless.
She said what saved her daughter was that she managed to hide behind one of the trees nearby.
Ms Moyo said she was at the shops when a villager alerted her that something terrible may have happened to her in-laws.
“It is disturbing that this man saw my in-laws being attacked but instead of alerting nearby villagers or trying to stop the attack, he walked all the way to the shops as if all was normal,” said Ms Moyo who was now being comforted by elders.
Like MaDube, she said the gory images will not be erased anytime soon, suggesting that she may need professional counselling.
Mr Hardson Moyo, a niece to the family said it was puzzling that Phamani was targeting the head in all the attacks.
“Perhaps he knew that to achieve his mission of killing, he had to target the head. As a family we are so traumatised,” said Mr Moyo.
With four deaths on his hands, Phamani left and headed for the community dam, about 3km from his triple killings. The dam is on the other side of the road, after the business centre past Madlambudzi Secondary School where he found 72-year-old Matsika doing her laundry.
“It is disturbing that all this time, despite the situation being reported to them, the police never reacted but instead are said to have asked Sylvester Sibanda if Phamani had injured anyone during the attacks on his family,” said Mr Collen Ncube.
The police are said to have reacted when word spread that five villagers had been killed. Villagers then launched a manhunt and police later joined.
However, when they finally caught up with Phamani, who was now armed with an axe, the police failed to subdue him until one villager, named Mudimba, used a bolt powered catapult that hit Phamani on the head resulting in him falling down leading to his immediate apprehension.
He was taken to Madlambudzi Clinic where an ambulance was summoned from Plumtree.
A nurse at the clinic said the ambulance came with the injection, contrary to villagers’ assumption that the patient was deliberately denied treatment.
“We, however, noted that he had defaulted as he last took his medication in April,” said the nurse who asked to remain anonymous.
Nyathi said the whole community was still in shock and disbelief at both the killings and the person behind.
He said while the community knew that the now murder accused had a mental problem, he was never a violent person.
“We would go to fetch firewood together while chatting like we would with any other normal person,” said Nyathi.
It has since been announced that the deceased will receive a state assistance funeral. They will all be buried on Saturday with a funeral service set for Friday at the community hall.
Minister of State for Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Albert Nguluvhe is expected to officiate attend the funeral service.
“A funeral service will be held on 29 August as initially stated by the families. The service will be done at Madlambudzi Hall at 2pm and the Minister of State is going to attend unless there are other changes.
“The deceased are going to be moved from Bulawayo Doves the same day to Madlambudzi so according to them (affected families) they will start at the community hall and then later go to their respective homesteads,” said Bulilima District Development Co-ordinator Mr Onesimo Zogara.
Doves Funeral Service tents have already been pitched up at the three families’ homesteads.
