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A 42-year-old Nkulumane man was stabbed to death, stripped naked and thrown into a sewage trench in a spine-chilling incident that has left Bulawayo residents in shock.

The man’s blood-stained clothes and shoes were found a few houses from where his body was dumped on Monday.

Mduduzi Ngwenya reportedly left his home on Sunday at around 11PM drunk and did not tell his wife where he was off too.

Police said his body has been taken to Mpilo Central Hospital for post mortem.

Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said investigations are underway and appealed to members of the public with information that may help in apprehending the killers to come forward.

“The deceased is a male adult aged 42 years of Nkulumane suburb, Bulawayo and was not employed. On December 12, 2020 at around 11PM, the deceased left home drunk and went to an unknown destination without notifying his wife,” said Insp Ncube.

“On December 14, 2020 at around 7AM, a police officer who was on duty manning Nkulumane ZRP charge office received an anonymous call informing him that there was a dead body in the sewage trench,” he added.

Insp Ncube said the scene was attended by Tshabalala ZRP and members of the criminal investigation department (CID).

He said they observed that Ngwenya’s body was lying naked in a sewage trench and that the body had stab wounds on the forehead.

“He had three deep cuts on the forehead, bruises on the neck and around chest. His clothes which include black trousers and one Black safety shoe were dumped inside a yard at a nearby house in Nkulumane, Bulawayo. We appeal to anyone with information that may assist the police to contact any nearest police station,” he said.

 “As police we would also want to appeal to our members of the public to respect their right to life and stop killing one another for whatever reason. As we are in the festive season people are urged to act responsibly and avoid places and situations that are not safe.”

Chronicle caught up with Ngwenya’s neighbours’ moments after his body had been collected and they said his death has left them confused.

They said the death could be a result of disagreements over alcohol as he was last seen drinking beer at a shebeen near his place of residence.  

“I am sure that if police conduct their investigations, they will be able to find the culprits who committed this heinous crime. We were so traumatised to be told that a naked body has been thrown in one of the trenches and we wonder what made them strip him naked after killing him,” said Mr Nhlonipho Maphosa.

“We do not understand what is really pushing people to be this heartless because we all know for a fact that Mdu was humble and was well known for his marvellous garden work around this area which was a source of living.”

Miss Sipho Ndoro said the area where Ngwenya’s body was found had been associated with a lot of reckless behaviour due to shebeens operating there.

“We are now tired of these blooming shebeens which have brought in a lot of discord in our community. Our lives are now in danger and we are not sure who will be killed next if these people get away with this gory murder,” she said.

@thamamoe