Police in Bulawayo are investigating the murder of a 54-year-old Pelandaba suburb man who was attacked by three unknown men while walking home with his wife on Wednesday.
The couple had accompanied a relative to Marisha Bus Stop and on their way back home they used a footpath that passes through a bushy area where they were waylaid by three men who stabbed the both of them while demanding cash and cellphones from them.
The man who was employed by Electrosales in Belmont later succumbed to the stabbed wounds while the wife is recovering.
Bulawayo acting police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele confirmed the incident saying the issue was reported by the 43-year-old deceased’s wife who is a lecturer at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST).
“Circumstances are that on 12 May 2021 at around 1800 hours, the now deceased and the complainant were on their way home from escorting their aunt to Marisha bus stop and while walking along a footpath which passes through Pelandaba cemetery they met the three accused persons.
One of the accused persons grabbed the complainant by the right hand, dragged her to the side of the road, produced a knife and stabbed her thrice on the chest and once on the head. The accused person removed his trousers intending to rape the complainant,” said Assistant Inspector Msebele.
She said the other two accused persons also produced knives and attacked the now deceased demanding cash and cell phones.
“They stabbed him on the upper right eye, on the back, on the right rib and on the back of the head. The complainant managed to escape and seek assistance at the neighbouring houses where four male adults whose particulars are not known accompanied the complainant back to the crime scene where they found the now deceased lying down in agony, in a pool of blood and unable to speak.”
Assistant Inspector Msebele said both the deceased and the complainant were taken to Pelandaba clinic and were later transferred to Mpilo hospital.
“ The now deceased was pronounced dead upon arrival at Mpilo hospital.”
She said police attended the scene and observed that the now deceased had one deep cut on the upper right eye, one deep cut on the back, one deep cut on the right rib and two deep cuts on the back of the head.
“The complainant had three stab wounds on the chest and one stab wound on the head, she was treated and discharged, and she is in a stable condition.”
“The body of the now deceased was conveyed to Mpilo mortuary for postmortem and nothing was stolen from the now deceased and the complainant,” said Assistant Inspector Msebele.
She urged members of the public to avoid using bushy footpath roads, especially in the evening as they risk putting their lives in danger and losing their properties to criminals.
