Murder suspect arrested while trying to flee the country for SA

A 20-year-old Bulawayo tout who was arrested while trying to flee to South Africa a day after fatally stabbing a colleague with a pair of scissors has been denied bail by a Bulawayo magistrate.

Magistrate Gladmore Mushowe remanded Chemist Sakala in custody up to December 2, fearing that he may abscond as he has faced a lengthy custodial sentence.

Sakala was arrested aboard a South Africa-bound vehicle at Stanmore near Gwanda a day after fatally stabbing Simon Nyathi after a heated quarrel over an R8 loading fee.

The court feared that Sakala was likely to interfere with witnesses as majority of touts at commuter omnibus termini are very close to him and that the seriousness of the offence may entice him to abscond.

It is the state's case that Sakala had an argument with the late Simon Nyathi over payment for touting passengers onto a commuter omnibus.

The argument turned into a fist fight and the two were restrained by other touts.

After about 10 minutes, Sakala went to a commuter omnibus he was loading and took a pair of scissors and stabbed the now deceased once on the left side of his chest.

It is alleged that the deceased collapsed and died on the spot while the accused got into an omnibus which was parked nearby and drove away from the scene in high speed.

The body of the deceased was taken to United Bulawayo Hospital for post mortem and the results proved that he died from heart stabbing and haemorrhagic shock.

Police tracked the accused and arrested him the following day around Gwanda area as he attempted to flee.