Kombi driver stabbed in neck, left to die on street

A KOMBI driver from Emakhandeni suburb in Bulawayo was killed by unknown assailants who assaulted and stabbed him on the neck, leaving him to die by a roadside yesterday.

Residents alerted the police and Gift Moyo (38)'s family when they found him dead at about 6AM.

The Chronicle visited the spot where he was found dead and residents from nearby houses said they heard people quarrelling at about 12AM.

The dead man's relatives allege a mystery woman who allegedly knocked on two houses near the place he was killed at midnight, could identify his attackers.

His brother Mr Mthokozisi Moyo said: "I don't really know what happened. It still doesn't make sense to me. But I was told that there is a woman who was heard knocking at two houses in the area near where his body was found," said Mr Moyo.

"The residents didn't open their doors for her so she slept in the toilet of one of the houses. The house owner found her still sleeping today this morning.

She refused to view his (Gift's) body," he said.

Mr Moyo said the unknown woman told residents that she was from Njube suburb.

"She is said to have told the residents that she didn't want to see my brother's body. But that story is not clear to me. She could know the events leading to my brother's death," he said.

His family said they got worried when Gift did not return home the previous night.

Mr Moyo said the family last saw him alive on Wednesday night.

"He arrived home at about 8PM but didn't enter the house. He left and never returned. We only heard this morning (yesterday) that there was Gift Moyo who was killed. I went to Luveve Police Station where I described my brother's clothes and police confirmed it was him," said Mr Moyo.

He said he did not even go to identify his body as the information that the police gave him satisfied him.

He said police had not found any leads by late afternoon yesterday.

Residents expressed shock on waking up to Gift's body.

One of the residents, a granny, Mrs Beauty Moyo, said the painful incident traumatised her.

"He was just lying there," said Mrs Moyo, pointing to the spot where Gift's body was found.

"On closer look we discovered that he was dead. I've been terrified ever since. I'm diabetic and due to shock I failed to eat and take my pills. Some residents have said they heard people arguing in the middle of the night," .

The Chronicle observed that the spot where Gift was killed had been covered with soil and some grass.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango could not be reached for comment.