Revenge drove stepmum killer
By Leonard Ncube
A man from Hwange, who allegedly fatally stabbed his stepmother with a homemade knife before attacking his stepbrother with the same weapon, had allegedly prepared eight knives and a hit list of people he wanted to kill including his former teacher.
Neighbours alleged Reginald Siketa, who is on the run, wasn’t in good books with the stepmother Ms Sibonisiwe Mpofu (30) and had a grudge with his former woodwork teacher identified as Mr Musekiwa.
He allegedly stabbed Ms Mpofu twice on Saturday at Number 5, E Section, before also stabbing his stepbrother in the groin, after an unsuccessful week long hunt for the teacher.
Relatives yesterday told The Chronicle that Reginald, who has been staying with his maternal grandmother at Shagari area in Lower Gweru, left the rural area with eight homemade knives that he fashioned from parts of a moldboard plough.
Reginald’s father Mr Ronald Siketa said it was untrue that the late Ms Mpofu abused his son.
“It’s not true that she was abusing him because we stayed with him until he finished his A-Level. In fact, what we got is that he had a grudge with a teacher at Wankie Secondary School called Musekiwa who he hunted for the whole week wanting to kill him. We heard from the teacher’s wife that Reginald visited their house several times carrying a knife looking for the teacher,” said Mr Siketa.
The teacher is now reportedly teaching at another school (name withheld).
Reginald, who attended high school at Foundation College in Bulawayo, before doing temporary teaching at Kantembwe and Nekabandana schools in Hwange, is 24, contrary to our report yesterday that he is 30.
His father said he was generally not a violent person and is still in shock about his behaviour.
He said the family was shocked that Reginald had spent a week hoping between nightclubs in Hwange after leaving the rural areas as he hunted the teacher.
“He wasn’t a violent person and we are still shocked as a family. We sent him money through his grandmother’s EcoCash number for him to come to Hwange and the grandmother told us that he disappeared soon after withdrawing the money.
No one knew of his whereabouts.
“We then heard that he was seen in bars in Hwange but he never came home. That’s the time he was hunting for that teacher,” said Mr Siketa, a Hwange Colliery Company employee.
He said Reginald had argued with his stepmother after she quizzed him about some stolen chickens.
“It’s true that we had a break-in on Wednesday and police arrested a suspect who implicated Reginald. When he came home she (Ms Mpofu) asked him and he got angry as he denied stealing them. He went away and returned just before 6PM armed with a knife. He attacked her without even saying a word,” added Mr Siketa.
He said Reginald stabbed Regis (17) as he tried to rescue his mother.
The attack took place in full view of his minor siblings aged nine and three.
Reginald was allegedly in the habit of abusing drugs which cost him his job as a temporary teacher as he would go to class intoxicated.
He went to stay with his grandparents soon after that, his father confirmed.
Regis was discharged from hospital yesterday.
A neighbour, Mr Thembinkosi Khumalo, a former cop who rushed Ms Mpofu in his car to hospital said: “All my years as a police officer I never experienced such a thing. The knife is scary like a spear. He dumped it soon after stabbing them and we rushed the woman to hospital as she couldn’t talk but unfortunately she died soon after admission.”
No comment could be obtained from police yesterday but Chronicle understands that a manhunt has been launched for Reginald.The Chronicle
