By Staff Reporter
CHIVI – Headman Madyangove in Chivi recently smashed a beer bottle into a fellow bar patron’s face in a bar brawl, shortly after the later had defeated him in a game of pool.
The victim, Fredreck Mudhe, was left nursing severe facial cuts after the headman, Jimson Manyumbu attacked him with a beer bottle in a fight at a local shopping centre.
The two had been playing snooker in a bar before they got into a brawl involving some cash on November 21 around 8pm.
Mudhe confirmed the incident and told TellZim News that during one of the games, the headman produced a US$100 note intending to buy beer and asked Mudhe to give him a small denomination which he did.
“We were playing pool with the headman and I defeated him several times. He then asked for a smaller denomination since he had a US$100 note which he wanted to use to buy beer. He gave me the note and I gave him US$20 which he used to buy the beer,” said Mudhe.
Mudhe went on to say after the game, he went on to buy beer which he wanted to take to a funeral, using the US$100 the traditional leader had given him earlier. He said when the shop keeper was about to give him change, the headman came and took it saying it was his though Mudhe was yet to use his US$20. They then got into an altercation which resulted in him being attacked.
“I went to buy a six pack of beer for US$6 and when the shopkeeper was about to give me change, the headman snatched the money. I asked him to give me my money but he said he owed me nothing. I then told the shopkeeper to give me back my money since I was the one who had given her the cash thinking she will get it from the headman but failed.
“I returned the beer and said I wanted my money with the intention of taking my US$20 and give the remainder to the headman.
“I then went outside and he followed me before asking for forgiveness and we said all was well, however, when I was making a phone call, I heard him accusing me of being stupid and I just thought maybe he was bragging. After a while he suddenly smashed a bottle of beer on the left side of my face and I fell to the ground and had to crawl and hide under one vehicle while people were fleeing the scene thinking I was going to die,” said Mudhe
He went on to say people who were there managed to refrain the traditional leader while rushing the victim to the nearest clinic and had to send a relative to Chibi Growth Point to a pharmacy to get medication that was required to treat him since there was none at the clinic.
Contacted for comment, Manyumbu confirmed the incident and said he injured Mudhe in self-defense after he had attacked him with a beer bottle first but he managed to dodge it.
“I can confirm the incident but it was an act of self-defense because Mudhe is the one who had attacked me first after a dispute involving US$100.
“We had just finished playing a game of pool when I decided to buy beer for both of us, I went to the counter and produced a US$100 note and when I was about to hand it to the cashier, Mudhe snatched it and both our hands were inside the counter barricade burglar bars. He said the money was his he had won it when we were playing snooker.
“I had to hold him tightly before he let go of the money. I asked the cashier to give me the beer and would pay her later which she did. That is when Mudhe tried to hit me with a beer bottle, which I dodged. I then retaliated and he got injured. It was purely self-defense and I had to escape and report the matter to Mashava police since him and his friends at the business center were attacking me,” said Manyumbu.
He dismissed Mudhe’s version saying he never asked him for money and said the beer which he used to attack him with was his first one.
