A 25-year-old man from Marula is on the run for allegedly murdering a herd boy whom he suspected to be having an affair with his mother.
The man identified as Behaviour Moyo was infuriated after he discovered that his mother was having a love relationship with the deceased who was employed by the family as herd boy.
He accosted the deceased whose identity could not ascertained by the time of the publication of this report and fatally attacked him with an axe before reportedly fleeing to South Africa.
According to village sources, the incident took place on March 11 and the deceased’s body was discovered the following day about 800 metres from Marula primary school.
One villager said the deceased was working as a herd boy for the family when he started having an affair with Moyo’s mother.
“It is understood that the deceased was having an affair with Behaviour’s mother who had been working for her for years,” said the villager.
“Behaviour heard about the affair and was angered by it, so he planned to kill the herd boy.”
Another source said Behaviour arrived from Bulawayo on Monday, and he was met by his mother and the herd boy in Marula.
“Behaviour fled to South Africa, however when he was at the border, he called his mother to inform her that he had killed the herd boy and he told her where to find the body.”
A search party involving the police and the locals conducted a search and found the body.
Matabeleland South Provincial police spokesperson Inspector Philisani Ndebele declined to comment on the case.
