Online Reporter
A shocking incident unfolded in Hobhouse suburb in Mutare on a Thursday morning when a woman allegedly attacked and killed her three-year-old son with a knife.
Police have confirmed the arrest of Netsai Chikuni (39), who is accused of fatally stabbing her biological son, Ngonidzashe Njerera (3), multiple times in the head and neck.
Chikuni, originally from Chisumbanje village in Chipinge, is reported to have arrived at her brother Admire Chilamwita’s house on November 19, 2025, around 6pm, accompanied by her son. Her brother was away in Chipinge and the house was occupied by tenants.
Acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka said: “The accused person and her child visited her brother Admire Chilamwita at House Number 5064, Mushamukadzi section, Hobhouse. Ngonidzashe Shava and her brother Isiah Chinyengetere were present. Shava contacted Chilamwita, who gave permission for Chikuni to enter the house.”
A tenant, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that Chikuni appeared distressed and forced her way in.
“She was appearing confused, depressed and possessed when she came here. She forcibly entered the house . . . We contacted the landlord, who said she is his sister and we should let her in.”
The violence reportedly began late that night.
“Around 1am, Chikuni woke up, went to Shava’s bedroom and knocked violently. Shava’s brother, Chinyengetere, opened the door but failed to communicate with her due to her violent state and locked the door from inside,” said Asst Insp Chinyoka.
Soon after, a tenant, Ngonidzashe Shava, heard the assault.
“After about five minutes, Shava heard Chikuni shouting at her child, saying: ‘Idya chingwa, uri kuda kundiurayisa’ (Eat the bread, you want to get me killed). Shava also heard Chikuni assaulting Ngonidzashe but did not come out because of fear. After about two hours, Ngonidzashe stopped crying, but Chikuni kept on shouting,” added the police.
Another tenant, Blessing Chinyama, peeped through a window and saw the gruesome scene. Asst Insp Chinyoka said around 4am, a tenant by the name of Chilamwita notified neighbours about what had happened, leading to a police report.
“Police attended the scene and observed that Ngonidzashe had several stab wounds on the head and neck. There was blood on the floor and two bloodstained kitchen knives beside his body. Chikuni was asleep beside Ngonidzashe, bleeding from self-inflicted cuts on her hands and legs. Chikuni was arrested and investigations are underway,” he said.
Witnesses reported that tenants tried to intervene during the attack but were repelled by Chikuni’s violent behaviour, which suggested she was in severe distress or a “state of frenzy”.
The incident has left the suburb in shock, with many residents struggling to comprehend the circumstances surrounding the mother’s gruesome actions. The motive behind the killing is still unclear and homicide investigations are ongoing. — Manicaland Bureau
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Bindura sex predator jailed 42 years
The Bindura Regional Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a man to an effective 42 years in prison for a rape spree and armed robbery.
The crimes were committed in the early hours of August 22, 2025 at the Batanai Compound.
Shortly after 1am, the man forced his way into a tuckshop where a female worker was asleep. He stole US$244 and a cellphone.
The perpetrator then sexually assaulted the terrified woman four times.
During the hours-long incident, he threatened her with a kitchen knife held to her throat and forced her to lead him to her employer’s home. The ordeal finally ended around 4.30am when the woman managed to escape.
Police caught a break a week later, on August 30, 2025, when the suspect was arrested on an unrelated public violence charge.
A search led to the recovery of the stolen cellphone in his possession. The victim was able to positively identify the gadget by unlocking it using her security pattern, leading to the man’s immediate arrest.
In court, the magistrate condemned the offender’s “cold calculation and total disregard for human dignity”.
The final sentence was calculated as follows: each count of rape attracted a 15-year term. The armed robbery count added further time.
This resulted in an effective 42-year prison sentence.
The ruling has been widely welcomed, sending a strong message that sexual predators will face severe consequences. — Mashonaland Central Bureau
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Man begs court to jail violent love rival
Love triangles are proving dangerous in Ntabazinduna, where one man is now pleading with the justice system to “remove his rival from the streets” so he can enjoy uninterrupted time with his girlfriend.
Shepherd Ncube (34) of Luthi Bhekani landed himself in the dock after allegedly turning into a midnight “lumberjack” and striking another man with an axe during a fight over a woman.
He appeared before Bulawayo Magistrate Taurai Manwere on an attempted murder charge and was remanded in custody pending trial.
According to prosecutor Nomthandazo Mafu, the incident occurred on September 24, around 1am, at Stand 188, Mahaja Line.
Moses Shumba was taking a romantic stroll with his girlfriend Happiness Ndlovu after she opened her window to him in a scene reminiscent of a low-budget “Romeo and Juliet”.
The couple was heading towards his homestead when Ncube allegedly pounced.
Instead of greeting the two or discussing his feelings calmly, Ncube reportedly swung a hunting torch into Shumba’s face, then followed this with a dramatic axe blow to the forehead.
Shumba collapsed, sustaining deep head wounds that required urgent hospital treatment.
In court, Shumba recounted the attack, but what stunned observers was his closing request.
He boldly asked that Ncube be sentenced to three full years behind bars so he could spend uninterrupted time with Happiness. — Bulawayo Bureau
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Mzilikazi man charged over savage bush attack on woman
A Bulawayo woman who narrowly escaped death after a brutal bush attack came face to face with her alleged tormentor in court, sparking high drama and raw emotion.
Sydney Ncube (65) of Mzilikazi appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Sibonginkosi Mnkandla, facing a violent assault charge after allegedly battering Patience Sabuwa and throwing her into a deep pit behind the Amakhosi Cultural Centre.
Ncube, who pleaded not guilty, was remanded in custody pending trial.
Prosecutor Tsungai Charmaine Mutapi Saunyama told the court the bizarre attack occurred on October 12, 2025, around 1am. Ncube allegedly dragged Sabuwa into a bushy area and demanded valuables.
He is accused of unleashing a savage assault using fists, stones, sticks and bricks, leaving the woman naked, unconscious and with deep cuts.
A passerby discovered the injured woman around 7.30am and rushed her to hospital before reporting the incident to the Mzilikazi Police Station.
When Sabuwa took the stand, the gallery gasped.
Her eyes were swollen shut, her neck strapped and her voice strained with pain. She testified that she had just left Big Bhawa after an Abigail Mabuza show when two men ambushed her.
They demanded money and a phone she did not have, then allegedly beat her senseless.
“One of them wanted to let me go, but Sydney (Ncube) refused,” she said.
She told the court Ncube dragged her for about 10 metres before pelting her with bricks and a metal bar on the head, face and neck.
When she tried to escape, she fell into a deep pit and blacked out. She later woke up at Mpilo Central Hospital.
Days after her discharge, she spotted Ncube at Madlodlo Bar and immediately recognised him.
The attack, she said, has left her living in constant fear and unable to continue her work as a vendor.
A witness, Makheli Masuku, testified that he found Ncube in the bush that morning.
He (Ncube) allegedly pointed out that he had seen a naked woman lying helpless in the grass as he was “passing by”. Masuku said he insisted they report the matter to the Mzilikazi Police Station.
Tensions boiled over in court when a relative in the gallery shouted that if Ncube was freed, she would “take justice into her own hands”.
The case continues. — Bulawayo Bureau
