Blood has stained the dusty streets of Chikombedzi twice in just days — first at a funeral, then at a prayer vigil — as two separate knife attacks have left three people dead and five others wounded, plunging the remote community into fear and disbelief The usually quiet rural community of Chikombedzi has been rocked by a second stabbing tragedy in less than a week, after a 19-year-old man allegedly killed two worshippers and injured two others during an all-night prayer vigil Liberty Sibanda appeared before the Chikombedzi Magistrates Court on Thursday facing two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder He was remanded in custody to August 21 Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Criminal Investigations Department spokesperson, Detective Inspector Rachel Muteweri, confirmed the arrest, saying the attack took place on August 3, 2025, at Mashavele Village, Chief Gezani “The victims were attending an all-night prayer vigil in honour of their departed relative when tragedy struck,” said Det-Insp Muteweri.“As they warmed themselves at the fireplace, the suspect bolted from his room and stabbed one of the victims in the neck with a sharp object Two others who tried to intervene were each stabbed in the back.” One victim later died from the neck wound, while another woman also succumbed to her injuries in hospital The two surviving victims have since been discharged Police have urged members of the public to shun violence and resolve disputes peacefully The case has drawn eerie parallels with another grisly attack in Chikombedzi just days earlier On the same day, in Mukuwo Village, a knife-wielding maniac stormed a funeral and stabbed 46-year-old Sithokozile Siwawa to death before attacking three mourners The suspect in that incident is still at large Police said the injured were rushed to Chikombedzi Mission Hospital and Masvingo General Hospital, while Siwawa’s body was taken to Chiredzi General Hospital for a post-mortem The ZRP is appealing for information that could lead to the arrest of the funeral attacker Source: Zimeye All Zim News is a central hub for all things Zimbabwean, curating news from across the country so no story is missed Alongside aggregation, our team of nationwide reporters provides real-time, on-the-ground coverage Stay informed and connected — reach us at admin@allzimnews.com. Source: Zimeye
