News / Regional
Businessman tied, axed 7 times
07 Nov 2014 at 19:45hrs | Views
A 56-year-old Beitbridge businessman was fatally struck with an axe seven times on the back and head after his hands were tied with an electric cable by three unknown assailants who broke into his house on Wednesday evening.
Fanuel Mulaudzi, a renowned cattle farmer who also owned a fleet of commuter omnibuses, a bottle store and butchery was attacked by three men, two of whom were wearing masks.
The men tied up his two children, waited for him and when he arrived they also tied him up and then axed him to death. The suspects escaped from the scene using his Toyota Land Cruiser.
They also took his firearm and two cell phones which have not been recovered, but the vehicle was later dumped near the council dumpsite in the border town.
Mulaudzi's sister Thinamano yesterday said his brother was attacked as soon as he got into the house around 10PM.
"We are at a loss for words as a family and we hope the police will arrest the killers so that they can face justice. The killing was very brutal. I only got to know of the incident after his two children managed to break one of the toilet windows and made a report to the police," she said.
Police sources said the murderers went to Mulaudzi's house in the low density suburb at around 7PM where they found his son who is in Form 3. They tied him up with wire and locked him in one of the bedrooms.
"A few minutes later his other son who is in his late 20s arrived from Musina, South Africa.
They also tied him up with the wire and locked him in the same room with his brother. They then ransacked the house and found Mulaudzi's pistol which they used to assault the elder son when he tried to resist taking orders," said a police source.
The trio is alleged to have waited for over three hours for Mulaudzi to arrive at his house.
While waiting for him, they asked his children about his routine when he got home.
They then went to the kitchen and prepared some food and waited.
A neighbour said while the suspects were waiting, a cross border trader arrived at the house from Musina.
"They approached him and assisted in offloading the goods and told the man that the other two victims were busy in the house," the neighbour said.
They allegedly lied about their presence at the house.
Efforts to get a comment from the police by the time of going to press were fruitless.
The incident comes a few weeks after an illegal foreign currency dealer was shot and killed by two unknown assailants who waylaid him at the gate of his house.
The suspects who are still at large escaped with R2,000 cash.
A few years ago another businessman from Beitbridge was brutally killed by four men who were armed with axes who then robbed him of four cell phones near the International Organisation for Migration Reception and Support Centre. The suspects escaped to South Africa, but were arrested a few weeks later for breaching that country's immigration laws.
Fanuel Mulaudzi, a renowned cattle farmer who also owned a fleet of commuter omnibuses, a bottle store and butchery was attacked by three men, two of whom were wearing masks.
The men tied up his two children, waited for him and when he arrived they also tied him up and then axed him to death. The suspects escaped from the scene using his Toyota Land Cruiser.
They also took his firearm and two cell phones which have not been recovered, but the vehicle was later dumped near the council dumpsite in the border town.
Mulaudzi's sister Thinamano yesterday said his brother was attacked as soon as he got into the house around 10PM.
"We are at a loss for words as a family and we hope the police will arrest the killers so that they can face justice. The killing was very brutal. I only got to know of the incident after his two children managed to break one of the toilet windows and made a report to the police," she said.
Police sources said the murderers went to Mulaudzi's house in the low density suburb at around 7PM where they found his son who is in Form 3. They tied him up with wire and locked him in one of the bedrooms.
"A few minutes later his other son who is in his late 20s arrived from Musina, South Africa.
They also tied him up with the wire and locked him in the same room with his brother. They then ransacked the house and found Mulaudzi's pistol which they used to assault the elder son when he tried to resist taking orders," said a police source.
While waiting for him, they asked his children about his routine when he got home.
They then went to the kitchen and prepared some food and waited.
A neighbour said while the suspects were waiting, a cross border trader arrived at the house from Musina.
"They approached him and assisted in offloading the goods and told the man that the other two victims were busy in the house," the neighbour said.
They allegedly lied about their presence at the house.
Efforts to get a comment from the police by the time of going to press were fruitless.
The incident comes a few weeks after an illegal foreign currency dealer was shot and killed by two unknown assailants who waylaid him at the gate of his house.
The suspects who are still at large escaped with R2,000 cash.
A few years ago another businessman from Beitbridge was brutally killed by four men who were armed with axes who then robbed him of four cell phones near the International Organisation for Migration Reception and Support Centre. The suspects escaped to South Africa, but were arrested a few weeks later for breaching that country's immigration laws.
Source - chronicle
