Injiva rapes, shoots sister-in-law, niece

AN injiva from Gwanda is on the run after allegedly raping his brother's wife (56) and daughter (26) before shooting the elderly woman.

The man was allegedly told by a sangoma in South Africa that he could overcome challenges in his life if he got a horn that his late father bequeathed him from his brother.

His father was an inyanga.

Sikhonezweni Ngulube allegedly violated his brother's family on Wednesday around 1PM.

A close relative who lives at Shoka Farm, under Chief Mathe, said the two women were rushed to Gwanda Provincial Hospital and the shot woman was transferred to United Bulawayo Hospitals for further management.

He told The Chronicle that Ngulube attacked when the father of the house was away. He described what the assailant did as unspeakable.

Ngulube returned home from South Africa unannounced and went to his brother's home. He found his brother's wife at home but her daughter had left for the fields.

Ngulube followed the younger woman and force- marched her back home at gunpoint.

"He led her into his brother's bedroom where she found her mother lying on the bed with both legs tied and hands tied behind her back.

"He asked his sister-in-law where his brother kept the horn that was used by their late father who was a traditional healer and when she failed to give him an answer he turned on to the daughter," he said.

Ngulube force-marched his niece into a spare bedroom and locked her there before returning to rape her mother.

"After raping the old woman, he shot her once on the right side of her back and the bullet exited above her right breast. He ransacked the bedroom in search of the horn but didn't find it.

"After about an hour, he took the daughter and  force-marched her to her bedroom where he raped her too.

"After he was done, he gave her his cellphone and ordered her to phone his brother and ask where the horn was," said the source, on the verge of tears.

As Ngulube was talking, his niece used the phone to send her father a message telling him what was happening. On learning about the attack, Ngulube's brother phoned the police as he was far away from home.

Police reacted swiftly and found Ngulube still at the homestead but he managed to escape.

"The incident occurred while the father of the house was away at a meeting in another village. I hope justice will catch up with him for doing such an evil thing to his own flesh and blood," said the relative.

Matabeleland South police spokesperson Inspector Philisani Ndebele confirmed the attempted murder and two counts of rape.

He said Ngulube was still at large and investigations were underway.

"I can confirm two women, a mother and a daughter, were raped by a relative. He went on to shoot one of the women after raping her and he fled from the  scene.

"Police are appealing to anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of the dangerous man, to come forward with the information," said Insp Ndebele.