Mental patient fatally stabs mother

Midlands Bureau Chief
A 24-YEAR-OLD suspected mentally challenged Mberengwa man allegedly fatally axed his mother and buried her remains in a shallow pit in their garden.

Police have since launched a manhunt for the suspect Timothy Zhou who is alleged to have brutally killed his mother Grace Zhou (50) of Village Tasaranago, Chief Mataruse in Mberengwa.

Acting Midlands provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende said on Tuesday last week, Timothy and his parents retired to bed at around 2100hrs in their respective rooms.

Timothy, she said, is alleged to have been showing signs of mental instability since December 2019.

“During the night, Timothy Zhou took his blankets and went to sleep in the garden about 1km away from their homestead. On August 25 at around 0600hrs his mother, Grace Zhou went to the garden and that is when Zhou attacked her using an unknown object.

“She cried for help and her husband Philip Zhou (63) teamed up with other villagers and rushed to the scene where they saw the suspect burying the deceased in a pit,” said Asst Insp Mukwende.

She said Zhou fled from the scene.

The matter was reported to the police who attended the scene and the body was retrieved and taken to Zvishavane District Hospital mortuary.

In an unrelated incident – four Silobela family members have been arrested after they allegedly ganged up and assaulted their four-year-old nephew whom they accused of being naughty.

Jabulani (22), Dereck (25), Stella (27) and Margret Mpofu (56) all residing at Village 1A Langton Farm, Chief Sigodo in Silobela appeared at the Kwekwe Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with physical abuse.

They were not asked to plead by magistrate Ms Florence Nago who remanded them in custody to 9 September .

Prosecutor Ms Chipo Hungwe told the court that in July this year, the four family members allegedly assaulted their nephew after they accused him of being naughty.

The court heard that the complainant’s mother is bedridden at home.

“The accused took turns to assault the complainant with a wooden stick all over the body. The complainant sustained bruises on the back and on the face,” said Ms Hungwe.

The matter was reported to the police by the complainant’s aunt leading to the arrest of the four accused persons and the juvenile was taken to Gweru Provincial Hospital.