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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
A 22-YEAR-OLD Filabusi man has been arrested after he struck his neighbour to death with a brick on the head in a dispute over beer.
Khulekani Hlongwane of Gangabeza area was not asked to plead when he appeared briefly before Gwanda magistrate, Mrs Nomagugu Sibanda facing a murder charge. He was remanded in custody to 23 March.
Prosecuting, Miss Faith Mutukwa said Hlongwane found his friend Njabulo Sibanda and the now deceased, Thabani Moyo fighting over beer and he intervened and struck the now deceased with a brick on the head before fleeing the scene.
“On 6 March at around 9pm, the now deceased Thabani Moyo and Njabulo Sibanda were drinking at Gangabeza Bottle Store when an altercation arose between them after Moyo drank Sibanda’s beer without permission.
Sibanda and Moyo started fighting and Hlongwane who was in the vicinity assisted Sibanda and they ganged up on Moyo.
“Moyo tried to flee from them but they caught up with him when he was just a few metres from the business centre. Hlongwane picked up a brick and struck Moyo on the head who lost consciousness. Sibanda and Hlongwane fled from the scene leaving Moyo lying on the ground. Moyo’s body was found the following morning near the business centre and the matter was reported to the police,” she said.
Miss Mutukwa said police carried out investigations resulting in Hlongwane’s arrest after villagers indicated that they had seen him assaulting Moyo earlier on.
In another incident a Filabusi man is on the run after he allegedly stabbed a man to death over an undisclosed issue. Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson, Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele confirmed the incident which occurred at Nkankezi area in the early hours of Saturday. He said the suspect only known as Thembani stabbed Honest Nyathi on the back of the neck along the spine.
“I can confirm that we recorded a murder case which occurred at a nightclub in Nkankezi area in Filabusi. Honest Nyathi who is the now deceased and the suspect only known as Thembani were drinking beer in a nightclub when they had a misunderstanding over an undisclosed issue and they started fighting.
“Thembani produced a knife and stabbed Nyathi on the back along the spine before fleeing into the darkness. Nyathi tried to walk towards a worker at the nightclub in order to get help but he collapsed and died. The matter was reported to the police who attended the scene,” he said.
Chief Insp Ndebele said investigations were underway and appealed to members of the public with information that could lead to the suspect’s arrest to contact the police.
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