Online Reporter
Moreblessing Ncube
A ROUTINE day at Manzini Farm in Matopo turned into a scene straight out of a horror flick when a 33-year-old Binga man allegedly smashed his 18-year-old workmate on the head with a spade over a wheelbarrow argument.
Shepherd Mudimba from Masenya Village, appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Taurai Manwere, facing a charge of assault. He was remanded in custody until 23 October as investigations continue.
According to prosecutor Jethro Mada, tempers flared on September 23 when Mudimba asked his younger workmate, Tafadzwa Nkomo, to bring him a wheelbarrow. The simple request sparked inexplicable rage in the younger man.
“Mudimba picked up a spade and hit Nkomo once on the head, near the forehead,” said Mada. “The complainant reported the matter to their employer, who rushed him to hospital.”
Blood gushed from his wound as fellow workers rushed to restrain Mudimba. The young man was rushed to hospital, where doctors had to perform an operation to drain blood that had pooled under his scalp.
“I still feel pain and itching on the scar,” Nkomo told the court. “I don’t know what made him so angry. It was just a wheelbarrow.”
The case left fellow farm workers whispering in disbelief, saying they had never seen a fight escalate so quickly over such a trivial issue.
In court, Mudimba tried to justify his actions, claiming the teenager’s mouth was his worst weapon.
“I just asked him to bring a wheelbarrow. Instead, he started insulting me,” Mudimba said, shaking his head. “I asked why he was being disrespectful, but he kept quiet, then started again saying I always look down on him.”
He told the court that the insults kept flying until Nkomo allegedly picked up a shovel and struck him on the waist first. “That’s when I lost it,” said Mudimba. “I grabbed a spade and hit him once on the head.”
Nkomo told a completely different story. He said all the wheelbarrows were in use and he politely told Mudimba so. “He accused me of disrespect and before I could finish explaining, he struck me on the head with a shovel,” said the teenager.
