Valencia Ndhlovu, Sunday News Reporter
A MAN from Entumbane in Bulawayo collapsed and died on Friday while visiting a friend in Makokoba after his phone and money were stolen.
Eyewitness said the man noticed that his phone and money had been stolen on Thursday and went into a frenzy before collapsing the following morning. Bulawayo Province police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the incident.
Inspector Abednico Ncube
The deceased has been identified as Stanley Ncube who was employed by the Sexual Rights Centre in Bulawayo.
One of the women from the residence in Makokoba said: “Stanley came to my house on 8 September in the afternoon like he used to do and told me that someone had stolen his phone and money and while we were still talking, he became violent towards me and my friend and we thought he was play-acting because we had never seen him behaving like that. All of a sudden, he started running around and throwing himself on top of rocks and destroying any property that was on his way. People tried to restrain him but failed. Police were then called but they also failed to restrain him. They told us that we should call for assistance from Ingutsheni Hospital. At around 3am he started screaming and people came out to see what was happening and he was in that state until he died.”
Ingutsheni Hospital
She said contrary to reports that he was beaten, no-one laid a finger on him. A bar owner from Makokoba said Ncube’s behaviour was not alcohol-induced because they drank the same beer that day and every other customer was “perfectly fine”.
One of the witnesses said Ncube was using crutches but when he became frenetic, he ran without them. Another witness said when they tried calling his phone, it was answered by a woman who said people who stole his phone and his money knew what really happened to Ncube that made him act that way before his death.
One of Ncube’s colleagues from Sexual Rights Centre who is also a peer educator said Ncube left work in a good state. She said they had just received their salaries and he went to visit his friend in Makokoba as he usually does.
“However, we later received news that he was no more and that pains us so much,” said the colleague.
Insp Ncube said the police were still investigating the matter.
