News / Africa
Fists fly at Lobola negotiations
20 Apr 2016 at 12:38hrs | Views
LOBOLA negotiations had gone well and both families were celebrating but then a neighbour, a casual guest, demanded more vodka . . . and suddenly bottles and fists were flying.
The event ended in chaos when a shack was burnt to the ground.
Daily Sun reported Zanele Ndaba (47) from Mayibuye, Tembisa, Ekurhuleni said it was a happy occasion until a family arrived to pay lobola for her daughter.
Soon, the negotiations and the payments were done and the people gathered for some drinks.
But then Zanele, feeling happy, made a small mistake.
"I invited a neighbour to join us and we were all happy," said Zanele.
But then the neighbour, Mandy Ndlovu (29), who had been celebrating as hard as any of the family, demanded to finish a bottle of Smirnoff 1818 vodka.
"We refused. We told her to go home and sleep. We tried to drag her home."
Zanele said Mandy fell down and when she got up she had an empty bottle in her hand. She hit Zanele on the head.
Zanele responded by hitting Mandy on the head with a bottle.
Then bottles began to fly everywhere as people started hitting each other.
The cops arrived and took Zanele to the police station for a statement, but before she came home she got the news that her shack was on fire.
"Nothing was saved. I lost everything," said Zanele.
"My school kids have no school clothes and we have nothing to eat."
Mandy told Daily Sun a slightly different story.
She said as she was about to leave, some family members accused her of saying bad things about other people in the yard.
"They accused me of gossiping about them and that's when the fight broke out," said Mandy.
Mandy claimed Zanele pushed her and hit her with a bottle.
According to Mandy, Zanele's husband-to-be was holding her while Zanele beat her with bottles and sjamboks.
"When they let go of me, I also threw some bottles at them because I was angry."
Mandy said she was in her bed sleeping when she heard that Zanele's shack was on fire.
"I didn't burn the shack.
"I was the one who woke people up to try and put out the fire."
A witness, Lindiwe Kekana (44), said the two fighting women had blood on their clothes.
The event ended in chaos when a shack was burnt to the ground.
Daily Sun reported Zanele Ndaba (47) from Mayibuye, Tembisa, Ekurhuleni said it was a happy occasion until a family arrived to pay lobola for her daughter.
Soon, the negotiations and the payments were done and the people gathered for some drinks.
But then Zanele, feeling happy, made a small mistake.
"I invited a neighbour to join us and we were all happy," said Zanele.
But then the neighbour, Mandy Ndlovu (29), who had been celebrating as hard as any of the family, demanded to finish a bottle of Smirnoff 1818 vodka.
"We refused. We told her to go home and sleep. We tried to drag her home."
Zanele said Mandy fell down and when she got up she had an empty bottle in her hand. She hit Zanele on the head.
Zanele responded by hitting Mandy on the head with a bottle.
Then bottles began to fly everywhere as people started hitting each other.
"Nothing was saved. I lost everything," said Zanele.
"My school kids have no school clothes and we have nothing to eat."
Mandy told Daily Sun a slightly different story.
She said as she was about to leave, some family members accused her of saying bad things about other people in the yard.
"They accused me of gossiping about them and that's when the fight broke out," said Mandy.
Mandy claimed Zanele pushed her and hit her with a bottle.
According to Mandy, Zanele's husband-to-be was holding her while Zanele beat her with bottles and sjamboks.
"When they let go of me, I also threw some bottles at them because I was angry."
Mandy said she was in her bed sleeping when she heard that Zanele's shack was on fire.
"I didn't burn the shack.
"I was the one who woke people up to try and put out the fire."
A witness, Lindiwe Kekana (44), said the two fighting women had blood on their clothes.
Source - Daily Sun
