Siphakeme .Mnindwa
Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]
POLICE have launched a manhunt for a 27-year-old murder suspect from Hope Fountain, on the outskirts of Bulawayo, who allegedly struck an elderly neighbour on the head with a pick handle for proposing love to his late brother’s wife.
Zama Dube (63) was allegedly attacked by Nanzelela Ncube outside his homestead in Hope Fountain after a misunderstanding arose between them. Ncube accused Dube of making advances towards his late brother’s wife.
The attack took place on February 9. Dube was taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) with head injuries, but he succumbed to them a few days later. He was laid to rest at Luveve Cemetery last Saturday.
“Police are appealing to members of the public for information that may lead to the arrest of murder suspect Nanzelela Ncube, whose last known address is in Hope Fountain,” said acting Bulawayo police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele.
The suspect’s mother, Mrs Hlabekisa Thebe yeasterday said she received a phone call, on the day of the altercation, informing her that her son had struck Dube with a pick handle.
“At home, we call him Sgananda. That day, I received a call saying he had hit uBaba uDube several times on the head. Villagers had not yet called an ambulance or reported the matter to the police,” she said.
“I rushed home and found our neighbour lying on the floor of his house with head injuries. I went to Hillside Police Station to report that my son had injured Dube.
“Sgananda accused uBaba uDube of proposing love to my daughter-in-law, who was married to my late son,” said Mrs Thebe.
She added that since the incident, her son has not returned home but has been spotted in the area.
“I have not spoken to him in over a week, but I heard some villagers saying they saw him at the shops over the weekend,” she said.
The late Dube’s relative, Mrs Anna Dube, said the attack happened in broad daylight.
“He is survived by nine children. His wife passed away a few years ago. Sgananda was drunk on the day he attacked our relative, and he kept saying he wanted to kill him. At first, we thought it was an empty threat until he struck him on the head with a pick handle,” said
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