A MAN hacked his elder brother to death with an axe after a heated witchcraft dispute in Mberengwa, police said.
Midlands Provincial police spokesperson Emmanuel Mahoko said the gruesome offence was committed by Ndabazawo Msipa last Friday.
It is said the now deceased Takaruvinga Gumbo (60), armed with an axe and stick, proceeded to Msipa homestead and accused him of bewitching him.
A heated confrontation then ensued, resulting in Gumbo attempting to wield the axe on his younger brother.
However, the older Gumbo came second best as he was overpowered by Msipa, who allegedly seized the axe and hacked him, resulting in his instant death.
“Msipa overpowered, disarmed and assaulted the brother (Gumbo) using the same weapons Takaruvinga had wanted to use. Msipa has since been arrested and investigations are currently underway,” Mahoko said.
In another incident, a man from Zvishavane Amon Mapingire (34) was beaten to death by workers at a milling plant following an attempted break in.
“Amon Mapingire on 16 August 2021 at about 03:00hrs accompanied by yet other unknown men broke into a milling plant complex in Zvishavane allegedly with an intention to steal. They were disturbed in the act and fled. Employees of the company persued the intruders and caught up with Mapingire and took turns to assault him indiscriminately all over the body. The company management later took him to the police where he died on the way,” Mahoko said.
Following these incidences, police are urging people not to take the law into their own hands.
“The general public need to know that when they are cases they cannot be the complainant, investigators and judges all in one. Meting punishments in their own cases, they will be committing more serious crimes. They should just report the cases to the police to let justice takes its course where appropriate punishment will be meted out,” Mahoko said.
