Bulawayo Kidnap horror - man forced to dance on grave and brutally assaulted

A car sales employee in Bulawayo survived death by a whisker after he was kidnapped by five men driving a car with South African registration, who claimed his employer owed them $250.

Edwin Makusha of Kindovy Car Sale was on Monday last week, allegedly kidnapped by Charley Chaplin Nyoni (25), Mvikezi Ncube (24) Khumulani Ncube (28), Nkosilomusa Zondo (27) and Busani Ndlovu (29) all from Bulawayo.

His kidnappers allegedly assaulted him all over the body with a log and forced him to dance on a grave at Hyde Park Cemetery in Magwegwe suburb.

His captors told him it would be his final resting place as they had decided to kill him to teach his employer a lesson.

On 9 March at around 1PM the men went to the car dealer's and demanded $250 from Makusha, which they claimed was the balance left over after the owner of the car sale bought a vehicle from Khumulani.
Makusha, allegedly curtly told them to talk to his employer and the five exploded.

"They grabbed Makusha and slammed his head against a door and showed him their car with Gauteng Province of South Africa number plates. Makusha immediately started begging for his life because South African registered vehicles are associated with ruthless killers," a court heard.

The five allegedly bundled Makusha into their vehicle and drove off at high speed.

Makusha's employer who had already called the police phoned the kidnappers to return and collect their money.

They returned and dropped off Ndlovu to collect the money while they sped off with Makusha again, to Hyde Park Cemetery.

Ndlovu was arrested by police who were waiting for the gang.
The gang arrived at the cemetery and ordered Makusha to dance on a grave while the assaulted him with logs.

They told him they would kill him and bury him in the grave and he reportedly eventually passed out from the pain and fear.

The owner of the car sales then called them and said he had deposited their money on EcoCash and they left Makusha for dead while they went to collect it.

They were arrested by detectives as they tried to get the money from an EcoCash dealer in the city centre.

The five appeared before appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Sibongile Msipa - Marondedze facing a kidnapping and assault charge.
They were not asked to plead and were remanded in custody to March 25.