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Auxilia Katongomara Chronicle Reporter
A NYAMANDLOVU man is battling for his life at Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo after he was allegedly severely struck by an iron bar and hose pipe by a former prison officer and a businessman during a beer brawl at Mathonisa Business Centre in Lupane last week.

Funson Dube of Mathonisa is reportedly in a critical condition after being attacked in a row over a girlfriend.

The alleged assailants, Nkosi Linos Nhongo, 36, a former prison officer and physiotherapist from Daluka Village in St Luke’s and Chonzeni Moyo, 47, of Bulawayo but runs businesses in Lupane, appeared before Tsholotsho resident magistrate Abednico Ndebele facing attempted murder charges at the Nyamandlovu court circuit.

Prosecuting, Sikhumbuzo Sibanda told the court that on December 6, the trio was at Mathonisa Business Centre in Lupane drinking beer before the unfortunate incident happened.

“The three men were drinking beer at the bottle store, but were sitting at different places before Dube allegedly began hurling insults at Moyo over a girlfriend. He stood up and proceeded to where Nhongo was sitting and struck him once on the head with an iron bar,” said Sibanda.

Nhongo, realising the danger, allegedly wrested the iron bar from Dube and struck him once on the head with it. “Moyo joined in the fight and assaulted Dube with a hose pipe and left the scene. Dube was lying down, groaning in pain,” said Sibanda.

The court heard that the duo then headed for Bulawayo and were later called by police from Nyamandlovu for questioning, leading to their arrest.

The duo, through their lawyer Matshobana Ncube, made an application for bail pending trial. In his application, Ncube said his clients were good candidates for bail as they were not a flight risk.

“Your worship, they’re both family men. Nhongo is a physiotherapist who runs his own company, Fit Arama, at St Lukes while Moyo of Ridgeview Flats in Bulawayo runs Bambanani Stores which include a general dealer, butchery, bottlestore, grinding mill and hardware and will be soon opening a salon. They’ll not interfere with witnesses as investigations have already been done,” said Ncube.

Magistrate Ndebele reserved bail ruling to December 18 when the court will be on circuit and asked the state to furnish the court with the medical report as to the current state of the complainant.