A 38-year-old man from Chikombedzi died late last month after he was allegedly struck several times on the face with a stone by a fellow villager following an argument over biscuits.
The deceased has been identified as Humulani Shadreck Chandale, 38, while the accused is Eliot Manhlalele, 45, of Zaveni Village under Chief Chilonga.
The two were drinking beer together in their village on 30 July 2026 at around 10 pm. At about 11 pm, they started walking home when Chandale allegedly asked Manhlalele to share some biscuits he had in his pocket.
Manhlalele reportedly refused, leading to an argument. Chandale is said to have insisted that they should share the biscuits since he had bought him beer.
The argument turned into a fight, during which Manhlalele allegedly picked up a stone and struck Chandale several times on the face. Chandale started bleeding from the nose before collapsing.
Manhlalele allegedly left him lying on the ground and went home. He later approached Jatiele Mapimele, 58, and told him what had happened.
Mapimele ferried Chandale on a scotch cart to Chilonga Clinic. From there he was referred to Chiredzi District Hospital and later transferred to Masvingo Provincial Hospital due to the severity of his injuries.
Police were notified of the incident on 2 August, leading to Manhlalele’s arrest on an assault charge.
Chandale, however, died at around 9 am on 3 August while admitted at Masvingo Provincial Hospital, and the charge against Manhlalele was upgraded to murder.
Masvingo Provincial police deputy spokesperson Assistant Inspector Masauso Patinyu confirmed the death.
“We confirm the death of Chandale, who died after he was attacked by a fellow villager while coming from a beer-drinking spree,” he said.
He urged members of the public to avoid violence when resolving disputes.
“We urge members of the public to resolve disputes peacefully and avoid resorting to violence, as minor disagreements can easily lead to the loss of life,” said Assistant Inspector Patinyu.
Leave a Reply Cancel reply