Zimpapers Logo

Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]

A BULAWAYO Polytechnic female student, Miss Inobubele Mhlanga, died on Monday evening following a brutal knife attack in a robbery that occurred around 7pm while on her way home in Cowdray Park.

Ms Mhlanga (23), a fashion and design student at the Bulawayo Polytechnic, was attacked by a lone robbery suspect, who is still at large, a short walking distance from her home, after disembarking from a commuter omnibus. 

Her family said they were alerted by concerned community members who had summoned an ambulance to the scene of the attack after Ms Mhlanga was found lying in a pool of blood, according to her grieving father, Mr Geshon Mhlanga.

“I was told that my daughter had been taken to Mpilo Hospital yesterday (Monday) around 7pm and I rushed there only to be told that she had passed away,” he told the Chronicle news crew. 

“My first reaction when I was told that Inobubele had been stabbed was that she was seriously injured but her life could be saved by doctors, but it was too late when I arrived at the hospital.

“She sustained several wounds on her chest and arms, wounds that were inflicted by a sharp object, possibly a knife and we believe that there was a struggle before the person who attacked her fled.” 

The attacker did not take anything from the deceased as her valuables were found at the scene of the crime. The family was told that a passing motorist saw the attack as it unfolded and tried chasing after a man who disappeared into the night.

The scene of the attack is just a few metres from the main road used by motorists driving in and out of the suburb.

“Her laptop, cellphone and handbag were found where she was stabbed. Her shoes were also found in the same area and were brought here by community members this morning (yesterday morning),” said Mr Mhlanga.

He appealed to anyone who might have information about the person responsible for her daughter’s death to alert the police.

“It’s the third time that someone has been attacked with a knife in this part of Cowdray Park and unfortunately we have lost our child. My appeal is for anyone with information about the person who did this to my child to give that information to the police,” said Mr Mhlanga.

The deceased’s uncle Mr Sikhathele Mhlanga, urged the community to rally together to eradicate crime before more lives are lost.

“I’m at a loss of words. The community must come together to make sure that such a brutal attack doesn’t happen again as we will continue losing lives at the hands of criminals who attack our children in broad daylight,” said Sikhathele.

A neighbourhood watch committee team that used to patrol the section of Cowdray Park where the attack occurred stopped working over a month ago due to non-payment of their incentives by some community members, said residents’ association chairman Mr Chipa Nechironga.

Each committee member is given US$100 from funds that are supposed to be collected from each household.

“We had a team of four neighbourhood watch committee members who stopped patrolling in our suburb at night because they were no longer being paid. 

“Each household is supposed to pay US$2 per month that goes towards paying the security team but when some residents stopped paying that money, we had no choice but to stop the team from working,” said Mr Nechironga.

He said the residents association will call for another meeting to revive the neighbourhood watch committee.

“It’s up to us the residents to stand up and take action against these criminal activities. Our children are now scared of walking after dark, as a result of the continuous muggings that have resulted in the death of an innocent young woman,” he said.

Police had not yet commented on the incident.