Man fatally strikes lover with iron bar

A 26-YEAR-OLD woman from Old Pumula, Bulawayo died after her boyfriend allegedly brutally assaulted her with an iron bar and pushed her head through a door.

Nobuhle Mlambo spent about a month in the intensive care unit before succumbing to the injuries she sustained in the savage beating on Sunday last week. The motive for the ruthless assault has not been established. Neighbours told Chronicle that as Mlambo hung on the door, with splinters piercing her neck, her boyfriend - known only as Moses - kicked and strangled her.

They said they were afraid to intervene because Moses was often violent.

Moses, they said, habitually beat up Mlambo and she had been treated in hospital multiple times after he abused her. The neighbours said Mlambo bled from the ears and nose as she was rushed to hospital. Her death just five days before the start of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is a painful reminder of how some people continue being abusive in relationships.

Bulawayo provincial police deputy spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said Mlambo died at around 9PM at United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH). Moses is still at large and police have launched a manhunt for him.

"On October 17, 2022 at around 10AM, the father of the victim received an anonymous call informing him that his daughter was being assaulted by the accused person using an iron bar over an undisclosed matter," said Asst Insp Msebele.

Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele

She said Mlambo's father rushed to his daughter's house only to find her unconscious and bleeding from the head. Asst Insp Msebele said Mlambo was ferried to UBH where she died last week.

She was buried at Luveve Cemetery on Saturday.

"Members of the public are warned against violence.  They should choose better ways of resolving their disputes and not taking the law into their own hands as it starts as a mere assault which then turns into murder. We are also appealing to members of the public for information that may lead to the arrest of the accused person to report at any nearest police station," said Asst Insp Msebele.

Mlambo's brother, Mr David Dlamini (33) said Moses used to severely beat his sister up.

"My sister was severely assaulted by this man because when we found her, she was hanging on a broken door where half of her upper body was outside the house and the other inside. It is clear that he broke the door by smashing her through it," said Mr Dlamini.

He said the post-mortem revealed that Moses also strangled her. Mr Dlamini said what pains him the most is that the accused person who is well known in the area as Moses Remai is still roaming around the suburb freely.

"The case was reported to Pumula Police Station but efforts to arrest the man who is living his life freely are not visible. The police from this area are clearly not doing their job because how can they fail to arrest a man who lives here. When I also go to enquire about the progress on his arrest, they harass me so I don't know how we can be assisted so that justice is served," said Mr Dlamini.

He appealed to members of the public to assist him and the family in securing Moses's arrest.

The annual international campaign dubbed "16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence" is designed to fight violence against women and girls.  It runs from 25 November to 10 December which is Human Rights Day.

This year's theme is "UNITE! Activism to end violence against women and girls".

Minister of Women's Affairs, Community and SMEs Development, Dr Sithembiso Nyoni last week, during the national launch of the 16 Days of Activism Against GBV, decried escalating violence against women and children.

She said from January to September 2022, 435 rape cases were reported and of these, 58 percent involved minors. She said a total of 959 sexual violence cases and 1 038 domestic violence cases were also reported during the period.

Dr Nyoni said many cases go unreported, all in the name of preserving "the family name."