Toe selling joke to amputee leads to violence

SOMETIMES jokes that people think are cool turn out to be cruel, and even occasionally backfire with deadly consequences.

That was at play when a man from Bulawayo reportedly fainted and soiled himself after being given a thorough beating when he joked about rumours of people selling off their toes for riches in a manner which did not go down well with one of his friends whose two toes on his left foot were amputated following a road traffic accident.

According to reports, the battered man Mncedisi Ncube from Sauerstown suburb, met his fate on Wednesday afternoon while at Queens Park East Shopping Centre drinking beer with his friends.

While cracking jokes on rumours of people selling their toes for riches, it however, went horribly wrong after Ncube pulled it on a fellow imbiber only identified as Isaac, who reportedly had two toes on his left foot amputated three years ago after a road traffic accident.

According to a witness, who chose to remain anonymous, Ncube who was visibly drunk confronted Isaac and jokingly asked him, "Ingaphi iGD6 yakho njengoba ungela mazwane amabili enyaweni lwakho lokunxele" (Where is your Toyota Hilux GD6 since you don't have two toes on your left foot).

Reports are that those who had sold their toes have been allegedly seen driving fancy cars, like the Toyota Hilux GD6.

Isaac, who was not willing to take Ncube's nonsense and thought he was mocking him over his disability, got angry and violently descended on him.

"We were drinking beer at Queenspark East Shopping Centre before Ncube confronted Isaac and joked about his two missing toes on his left foot which were amputated after a road traffic accident.

He jokingly asked him, ‘Ingaphi I GD6 yakho njengoba ungela mazwane amabili enyaweni lwakho lokunxele'. That however, didn't go down well with Isaac who thought Ncube was mocking him over his disability.

"In a fit of anger, he descended on Ncube with a flurry of punches and repeatedly punching him in the face until he fell to the ground. Isaac continued assaulting Ncube who was now lying helplessly on the ground and pleading for forgiveness.

"His pleas however, fell on deaf ears as Isaac continued bashing him. Isaac only stopped after he realised that Ncube who was now lying unconscious had soiled himself," the witness said.

The witness said unsure of how he was going to proceed with his public embarrassment, his (Isaac) friends took him home where he later recovered.

When contacted for comment Ncube's phone rang unanswered and Isaac who is reportedly a gold panner in Inyathi could also not be located for comment.

Over the past couple of weeks, there have been unverified claims that people, particularly those in Harare, are selling their toes to ritualists for thousands of United States dollars.