……Mandebvu hit by car during brawl with former mayor Maboke
Courage Dutiro
In a dramatic incident over the weekend, Zanu PF Masvingo Youth Chairperson Delight Mandebvu reportedly assaulted former Masvingo City Mayor Collen Maboke and his wife after the latter’s car side-swapped the vehicle the ruling party youth leader was traveling in on the night of March 2, 2024 along the Masvingo-Nyika road, after which Mandebvu got seriously injured after being hit by another car at the scene.
Mandebvu is said to be currently admitted at Masvingo Provincial Hospital with a broken leg.
When contacted for comment, Mandebvu’s phone was picked up by an individual who identified himself as a Zanu PF youth who had visited the chairperson in the hospital.
“I am one of the party youths who visited him, he is in a stable condition. At the moment he is being attended to,” said the youth.
Maboke who contested in the August 23, 2023 elections as an independent candidate for Masvingo Urban constituency said on the fateful night their vehicles which were going different directions sideswiped before the vehicle Mandebvu was traveling in made a u-turn, blocked Maboke’s car which was being driven by his wife, disembarked and started assaulting the former mayor, his wife and another passenger who was in the car.
During the brawl, a third car approached the scene but failed to brake on time before it overturned. Yet another car also approached the scene, failed to brake and hit Mandebvu who was reportedly in the middle of the road, seriously injuring him in the process.
“I was coming from my rural home in Bikita with my family, with my wife driving while I slept. My wife told me that around the Mbungo area, we met another vehicle that was driving towards Nyika growth point and we sideswiped. After that, the vehicle that we had sideswiped within which Mandebvu was made a u-turn, followed us and blocked the road. Mandebvu and the other occupants of his car then came to us and started assaulting my wife who was in the driver’s seat,” Maboke said.
He also said during the commotion, he was woken up after being hit by a bottle on his face. A third vehicle then arrived at the scene, failed to brake and overturned.
“As I was trying to understand what had happened I was hit by a bottle on my face. At that moment a third vehicle arrived at the scene, and tried to brake but overturned. As we were still talking a fourth vehicle which was travelling behind the third one arrived, failed to brake and hit Mandebvu,” said Maboke.
He also said he narrowly avoided the impact by jumping away, escaping the accident by a whisker.
“We could have been hit together but I managed to jump from where I was standing,” he said.
Maboke said, he sustained teeth and mouth injuries while his wife also sustained some significant injuries.
