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Leonard Ncube, [email protected]

VILLAGERS in Nkayi’s Maphasaphasa area, Manguni Ward convened an emergency community meeting on Monday to discuss a recent attack by an armed gang as new details emerged that a pregnant women miscarried after the suspects kicked her on the stomach.
The suspects handcuffed their victims who they force marched while continuously beating them with sjamboks.
Villagers have identified the suspects as South Africa based Mbongeni Bongo Sibanda, Quiet Nyoni and another only identified as Mpilo.
The other gang members have not been identified but villagers told the Chronicle that they were hired by Sibanda and Nyoni from Gavave in Gokwe on the boundary with Nkayi to unleash terror.
The villagers said the whole community is living in fear after the gory incident that left about half a dozen injured, one woman partially blind, a teenage boy seriously injured and a woman with a miscarriage.
The incident occurred last week and police national spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said investigations have been opened on the issue.
No arrest has been made.
Speaking earlier yesterday Mr Diliza Dlodlo who is headman for the area said while the situation was calm, villagers were in fear of being attacked again.
“People are living in fear which is why we want this addressed,” he said.
Mr Dlodlo could not be reached on his mobile phone after the meeting which was held at Ziqalabeni, Mvubu area.
His secretary Mr Kenneth Tshuma said violence should not be condoned.
“The meeting was held and the leaders are emotional about the issue. The meeting resolved that names of the attackers be submitted to the headman so that measures are taken. What happened here is serious and should not be condoned so drastic measures should be taken because our ward is now a dangerous place. We understand the other accomplices are believed to have come from Gavave in Gokwe,” he said.
Manguni Ward 2 Councillor Mthandazo Sibanda said community leaders had a duty to protect citizens.
“The headman wants names of the suspects. Our role as leaders is to protect people and address wrong doings in our community. So elders want this issue solved once and for all and we hope that will happen,” he said,
Narrating his horrific experience at the hands of the attackers, Mr Sindiso Mkuchira who was the first to be attacked said his wife miscarried after being attacked.
He said he was targeted because in December last year he rendered first aid on a boy that had been assaulted by Sibanda and Nyoni who then accused him of supporting the youth that had allegedly damaged their vehicle.
“They came around midnight and stood at my bedroom windows where I was in bed with my family including children before they shooting pepper spray through the window. They fired guns twice while outside before they broke down the door with an axe.
“They entered the room and started kicking everyone and used pepper spray on us and to my face. I become unconscious and the last thing I heard was them saying “where is the wallet.” I had US$200 in the wallet which they took. Later on, they force marched me to another homestead where they also fired shots before beating everyone including children,” he said.
Mr Mkuchira said they handcuffed him and another elderly man together and force marched them to other homesteads where they hand cuffed their victims.
He said he only managed to recover a phone and torch after the suspects released them but they took the wallet and money.
“They ordered us to bring cattle to them in the morning to apologise for the issue. Because I was injured I was taken to hospital in the morning with other villagers and at hospital they demanded a police report, that’s how the issue was reported.
“While I was there I received a call from my wife who said she was bleeding and had lost her pregnancy following the attack at night as they kicked her on the stomach. Police initially did not believe when we told them the attackers had guns until villagers picked some cartridges,” he said.
Sibanda is a cross border transporter known as umalayitsha while Nyoni runs a taxi business in South Africa.
They allegedly fired eight shots at the victims but none was on target as some fled into the night.
The incident happened in Mbotshwa village under Chief Madliwa.
A 12-year-old boy is reportedly nursing injuries on his back after being whipped with a sjambok while an elderly woman partially lost sight after the suspects pepper sprayed her on the face.
She also suffered a swollen limb following the assault.
The suspects are believed to have skipped border to South Africa and have threatened to come back and kill four people who are their main targets.
The issue dates back to December last year when the community hosted a soccer tournament, which resulted in running battles as the suspects accused some local youths of damaging their vehicle. A case of malicious damage to property was opened and the accused youths were found not guilty and acquitted after the court found no adequate evidence. The two suspects reportedly demanded cattle from the youths’ families.
Law enforcement agents reportedly intervened and ordered that the cattle be returned to their owners. Unhappy with the outcome, the two suspects went back to South Africa and returned last week armed with guns and sjamboks.
-@ncubeleon