Man dies while fleeing from paying R5 kombi fare

A Bulawayo man died on the spot when he was struck by a car while fleeing from paying a R5 commuter omnibus fare.
In what appeared to be instant divine fulfilment of the biblical statement- the wages of sin is death- Michael Nyoni (29) of Nkulumane suburb was run down by a car seconds after he shouted obscenities at a kombi crew telling them they would get their money in heaven.
The incident occurred on Monday at Sizinda suburb.
Shell-shocked passengers told Bulawayo24 News that Nyoni boarded the kombi in the city centre and immediately started quarrelling with the conductor.
They said he waved a bunch of notes but refused to pay the R5 kombi fare.
"He argued with the conductor for no apparent reason and said if he wanted his money, he should ask God for it. He was very rude and spoke in a loud voice. Since he was a big man, I think the driver wanted to get him to Sekusile where there are many touts. The touts are famous for ganging up and assaulting difficult passengers," said a passenger.
However, the passengers said, Nyoni seemed to sense the strategy and when a passenger was getting of near the Sizinda Hall turn off, he also bolted out of the Kombi.
He was allegedly shouting that only God could get the R5 from him, mixing the statement with unprintable obscenities.
"He jumped out of the kombi and ran straight in front of a car that hit him, killing him on the spot. Imagine, he died just because he did not want to pay a measly R5," said one of the passenger.
Barbara Moyo who said she was the deceased's neighbour in Nkulumane said she thought he was drunk because she had never seen him acting that way.
"It is either that or he was possessed by the devil. I think the repeated reference to God, which I believe is using the creators name in vain, is what killed him," said Moyo.Contacted for comment, police said they were yet to get a report about the incident.