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Fairness Moyana and Eglon Nkala Chronicle Reporters
A MAN from Nkayi crushed his friend’s skull with an iron bar, killing him instantly, in a fight over $1. Vusa Tshuma aged (28) allegedly flew into a rage when his friend Ndoyendepi Nyoni (26) took $1 that he had left with a bar lady.

Tshuma left his friend’s bloodied body in the bar at Kenilworth Business Centre and fled to a neighbouring village after the attack on June 17.

Villagers instituted a manhunt and arrested him at Lukona business centre, 16km away from the scene, on Tuesday.

Witnesses said Nyoni allegedly asked the barkeep to give him opaque beer (scud) from Tshuma’s dollar, without permission. “When Tshuma asked for his money, the barlady told him his friend had taken a scud for the dollar,” said a witness.

“Tshuma went wild. He grabbed an iron bar and hit his friend until he died.”

Confirming the incident, national police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said Tshuma, a herdsman in Longwe area, struck Nyoni all over the body with the iron bar.

“In Nkayi at Kenilworth Business centre, two men were drinking beer together when a dispute arose over one dollar change.

“The suspect who had left the dollar with the cashier then took an iron bar and assaulted the now deceased several times all over the body. He sustained injuries all over the body and died on the spot. The suspect fled after discovering that the victim had died,” said Snr Asst Comm Charamba.

Police sources said Nyoni went to the barlady where he demanded the remaining dollar which he was given and bought another scud without Tshuma’s knowledge.

When Tshuma returned, he found his friends drinking and joined in without knowing where the beer had come from.

After they finished drinking, Tshuma approached the barlady requesting his change and was told that Nyoni had already taken it. He then approached the deceased resulting in a misunderstanding ensuing between the two.

Tshuma allegedly took an iron bar and assaulted deceased on the head several times. He collapsed and died on the spot as a result of the assault.

The body has since been referred to the United Bulawayo Hospitals for postmortem.