A Gwanda man suspected to be mentally unstable allegedly struck his five-year-old maternal niece with an axe three times on the neck leading to her death.

Matabeleland South acting provincial police spokesperson Inspector Loveness Mangena confirmed the incident which occurred on Tuesday at about 11AM in Buvuma Village.

She said Reabokile Noko (28) who is in police custody wanted to strike his mother with the axe but she fled and instead attacked five-year-old Mitchel Dube who was his maternal niece.

“I can confirm that we recorded a murder case which occurred in Buvuma area in Gwanda. Reabokile Noko who is said to be mentally unstable entered the kitchen hut while armed with an axe and found his mother sitting with her five-year-old granddaughter.

“He advanced towards his mother while threatening to strike her with the axe but she escaped through a window leaving her granddaughter behind. Noko then struck his five-year-old niece with the axe three times on the neck and she died on the spot,” she said.

Insp Mangena said the matter was reported to the police who attended the scene and Noko was arrested. She said Noko was alleged to be mentally unstable but investigations were still underway to ascertain his mental state as he was yet to be examined by doctors.

She said the body of the now deceased was being held at the Gwanda Provincial Hospital mortuary.-The Sunday News