Man Jailed for Threatening Father with Knife

A 27-year-old man from Mathombo Village in Plumtree has been jailed for threatening to stab his father with an Okapi knife.

Rony Dube appeared before Plumtree magistrate Joshua Nembaware on Tuesday, where he pleaded guilty to making threats of violence under Section 186(1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

He was sentenced to six months in prison. Three months were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour. The remaining three months were set aside on condition that he completes 105 hours of community service at Makorokoto Clinic, starting August 20, 2025.

Prosecutor Sheila Nyathi told the court that on August 16, around 2 a.m., Dube came home drunk and shouted at his father until he came out of the house. Dube later went to his bedroom and slept.

At around 8 a.m. the same morning, he confronted his father in the kitchen while holding a knife and threatened to stab him, saying in Ndebele: “Kalingazi kahle lizangibona kuhle” (“You do not know me; you will come to know me well”).

The father escaped and called for help. A neighbour, Jabulani Dube, rushed over after hearing the commotion and rescued him.