Liberty Dube
Post Correspondent
POPULAR Dangamvura barber, Clever Marumbwa, fondly known as B-Giant, was last Saturday night murdered in cold blood by six unknown armed assailants who are now fugitives from justice.
Marumbwa (39) was stabbed on the abdomen, back, right thigh and left hip.
He lost a lot of blood, and was pronounced dead on arrival at Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital.
The knife-wielding suspects also robbed him of cash and other valuables that were in his satchel.
The criminals also injured Marumbwa’s friend, Mr Retiscence Mutare, stabbing him on both hands and the back before vanishing into the darkness.
Mutare has since been treated and discharged.
The two victims were walking from Dangamvura Complex when the assailants ambushed and attacked them at a footbridge between Area 3 and Beta Shopping Centre.
While the problem of street crime has been largely ignored in high density suburbs, Marumbwa’s case has exposed how unsafe the streets have become, especially under the cover of darkness.
Marumbwa was laid to rest at Dangamvura Cemetery on Tuesday afternoon.
Narrating the blood-curling incident, Mr Mutare (26) believes the crime was pre-planned.
“We normally leave work together, and I would often see him off by the footbridge, which is where we were attacked. I was about to bid him farewell when suddenly six men appeared from the dark and attacked us. Three of them attacked me, while the other three went for Marumbwa. They ordered us to surrender all our valuables. They took away my shoes, cellphone and power bank as well as US$50 that was in my pocket.
“One of them shouted and instructed his colleague to finish me off, but the assailant, who had a knife, kept staring at me. He stabbed me on both hands and back. He was seemingly reluctant to kill me as had been ordered. I cheated death by a whisker, but there is no cause to celebrate.
“At that time, I did not realise that my friend had been savagely attacked. They stabbed him all over the body, including the stomach with a knife, and he lost a lot of blood as a result. When they disappeared into the darkness, I cried for help as blood gushed from my stab wounds. I rushed back to Dangamvura Complex to seek help. Nobody could believe what they were seeing as all my clothes were soaked in blood. People were shocked to see me in that state.
“I told them that Marumbwa was badly injured and unable to walk. Good Samaritans came by, including a nurse, and we rushed to the scene where he was lying helplessly in a pool of blood with breathing difficulties. They assisted him and rushed both of us to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital where, unfortunately he died on arrival,” said Mr Mutare.
Mr Mutare said it looked like the assailants had planned to kill Marumbwa.
“If it was not planned, they should have just grabbed whatever we had and leave us alive. We never resisted, but they indiscriminately stabbed us, and eventually killed Marumbwa. I am still in a state of shock. Marumbwa was a cool, calm and peaceful guy who could hardly hurt a fly. I cannot process why someone would target such a gentle guy. He was a prayerful person, and would always make sure his paths are guided by the Word of God. We would often read the Bible together,” he said.
Mr Mutare is a potato vendor at Dangamvura Complex, where he became buddies with the deceased.
Acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, said investigations are in progress to bring the suspects to book.
He appealed to members of the public with information leading to the arrest of the assailants to report to their nearest police station.
Assistant Inspector Chinyoka said they are treating the matter as murder.
Marumbwa’s body was conveyed to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem.
“The complainant, Mr Mutare, and his now late friend were walking from Dangamvura Complex to Beta Shopping Centre. As they were passing a footbridge between Area 3 and Beta Shopping Centre, six unknown assailants emerged from the dark, and ordered them to surrender all their valuables.
“The accused persons divided into two groups — with three attacking the complainant and the other three attacking the deceased. The complainant was stabbed once on the back and right arm with a knife. He lost a power bank, a Samsung A30 cellphone and US$50.
“The other three accused persons stabbed Marumbwa once on the stomach, back, right thigh and twice on the left hip. Marumbwa fell on the ground, and they stole his Huawei cellphone and three hair clippers from his satchel,” he said.
Total value of stolen property is US$200, and nothing was recovered.
Assistant Inspector Chinyoka appealed to people to avoid walking at night.
