Manhunt for love rival ‘killer’

POLICE have launched a manhunt for a 34-yearold Nkayi man who reportedly beat up his 54-yearold neighbour to death with a log in a dispute over a woman.

Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson Inspector Philani Ndebele said the suspect, Meluleki Moyo from Nkayi but works in Bulilima handed himself over to the police the following day but fled as cops were attending the scene.

He said the incident occurred on Tuesday evening in Gato Village in Tjankwa Ward, Bulilima District.

He said the name of the deceased was being withheld as his next of kin had not been advised. Moyo reportedly killed the elderly man at his girlfriend’s homestead and carried his body to the man’s house which is about 30 metres away and left it there.

“There is a man who reportedly beat up a fellow villager to death over an undisclosed issue. The now deceased went to check on his girlfriend at her homestead on Tuesday around 6pm and during the time had an altercation with Moyo. Moyo then attacked the other man with a log and he died on the spot. The following morning Moyo went to the police station and told the cops that he had attacked someone. A police officer went to attend to the scene and during the process Moyo fled,” he said.

Insp Ndebele appealed to members of the public who had information on Moyo’s whereabouts to contact any police station.

A village head from the area, Mr Norman Dube said the altercation between the two men started after the girlfriend only identified as MaNcube dumped the 54-year-old man and started a new relationship with Moyo.

Mr Dube said this made the man furious as he kept demanding reconciliation with the woman.

He said two weeks before he was killed the now deceased threatened to burn his ex-girlfriend to death in her bedroom hut and this forced her to flee to Moyo’s homestead.

“The now deceased went to check on his ex-girlfriend at her homestead on Tuesday evening. He failed to locate her and left but returned a few minutes later to find her with Moyo. An altercation ensued between the three of them and the now deceased tried to attack Moyo and his girlfriend.

“Moyo retaliated and struck the man with a log on the head and all over the body until he lost consciousness. Moyo took the unconscious body of the man and left it where he stayed about 30 metres from where the incident occurred. His body remained there until the following morning as he lived alone,” said Mr Dube.

He said the whereabouts of Moyo and his girlfriend were not known as they both fled.