Online Reporter
Dalyn Chigwizura, Court Writer
POLICE in Bulawayo have launched investigations into four separate murder cases and one attempted murder case, which occurred within a period of five days last week.
In a statement, Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, said the first incident of attempted murder occurred in Kensington on August 10, where a complainant, a male aged 85 who is employed as a caretaker, was in his room at work at around 5PM when the accused person, a female adult known facially to the complainant, entered his room and demanded sex.
Insp Msebele said the complainant turned down the demand, and this did not go well with the accused person, who then picked up an axe, which was in the room and struck the complainant once on the neck.
The complainant sustained a deep cut on the right side of the neck and reported the matter to the police. An ambulance was summoned, and he was ferried to hospital for medical attention.
The second murder case occurred in the Bulawayo city centre on the same day at around 3.30am where a 40-year-old male security guard was at his workplace located along Jason Moyo Street, between 11th and 12th Avenues when an unknown male adult knocked at his door and told him that his friend, Mphekezile Freeman Ncube (24) from Pumula, had been stabbed by an unknown person and was lying by the roadside near the security guard’s workplace, and he needed help calling an ambulance.
The security guard and the deceased’s friend proceeded to the scene where they found the now deceased lying on the ground with multiple stab wounds on the chest and bleeding profusely.
The now deceased was ferried to hospital by ambulance, where he died upon arrival, said Inspector Msebele.
On a third case, police have confirmed the arrest of Peace Nyathi (28) from Nyamandlovu, also on August 10, in connection with the murder of Junior Moyo (34) of Kensington, Bulawayo.
The incident happened at around 7.45pm where the now deceased was drinking beer with the accused person and his accomplice, only known as Bheki (still at large), at a Kensington bar.
The now deceased had an altercation with the accused persons, and one of them struck him with an unknown object on the forehead, causing a cut, said Insp Msebele.
After the altercation, the deceased went home and the following day, he reported the assault to police, who advised him to go to United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) for medical treatment and get a medical report.
He went and was treated at UBH before being referred to Mpilo Central Hospital for further management but opted not to go to Mpilo.
On August 12, Moyo’s health started to deteriorate, and he was transported to Mpilo by relatives, where he died upon admission at the casualty ward. On the following day, Insp Msebele said her team conducted a raid at the accused’s workplace and managed to arrest him.
Insp Msebele said the fourth case of murder happened in Makokoba suburb at around 7.40pm on August 12. The incident occurred when the deceased, Melusi Tshuma (39) of Makokoba suburb and his uncle, a 35-year-old male, had a misunderstanding over a cellphone.
An argument ensued after the uncle accused the deceased of having stolen the cellphone. The accused person, Edmore Gabriel Moyo (32) of the same residence, overheard the argument from his room. He stormed out armed with an okapi knife and stabbed the deceased twice on the left thigh before fleeing the scene, said Insp Msebele.
An ambulance was summoned, and the deceased was pronounced dead upon arrival by the ambulance crew. A police report was made, and the body was ferried to hospital for post-mortem.
Insp Msebele said on August 13, at around 12.30am, police officers made a follow-up and arrested the accused when he returned home.
Insp Msebele said the fifth case involves Freddy Masina (19) of Mantoni Village, Nkayi, who was murdered at Gonga Mine, Umguza on August 14.
She said at around 1AM, a Gonga mine worker including the informant (a 42-year-old male of Glenup, Bubi), the now deceased, the accused person only known as Bhaks Nyathi and another male (37) of Dlawa area, Nkayi, were sleeping in a two-metre deep trench at the mine.
At around 2am, the informant was awakened by groaning sounds from the deceased, Freddy Masina. The accused person then jumped out of the trench, saying he could not be disrespected by a “small boy,” before fleeing.
The informant noticed that Masina had been stabbed with a sharp object and had cuts on the right side of the chin, neck and under the right ear.
Blood was oozing from the wounds, mouth and nose. When the informant tried to ask him what had happened, he discovered Masina could no longer talk.
A police report was made and investigations established that the accused person used to be employed at the mine about two years ago but had returned as an illegal artisanal miner with no formal records in the registers.
The body of the deceased was ferried to UBH mortuary for post-mortem.
Insp Msebele has since urged members of the public to desist from using violence when resolving disputes to avoid such tragedies. She appealed for members of the public with information that may lead to the arrest of the accused persons to come forward and report to the nearest police station.
