A 23-year-old man from Gwanda is lucky to be alive after an attack by a rival suitor, who left him with a spear thrust into his mouth pinning his head to the chest.

The man had a successful operation at the United Bulawayo Hospital to remove the spear early this week.

Freeman Ncube is fortunate to live to tell what befell him early this week when he decided to visit the mother of his two-year-old daughter, whom he had separated with.

“I had gone to see the mother of my child and when I got there, I got attacked by a man who claimed to be her boyfriend,” he said.

Ear, Nose and Throat specialist, Dr John Kutsukutsa who was among five doctors who took part in the two-hour operation to remove the spear, said Ncube was lucky to be alive because the spear missed the major veins.

“He came here with a 1.5 metre spear thrust in his mouth and right into his chest, so it was a difficult case and this man is very lucky to be alive,” he said.

UBH Head of Surgery, Dr Tongesai Mukosera said the operation was a collective effort of doctors from his institution as well as other experts from Mpilo Hospital.

“I don’t want to lie by taking all the credit. This was collective work. When we realised, we could not pull it off on our own, we asked for a helping hand from Mpilo Hospital,” he said.

The Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Judith Ncube said the level of dedication and expertise displayed by the doctors to save the speared man is commendable.

“This success story shows that as Zimbabwe we are capable. Our health sector is not dead,” said Hon Ncube.

Zimbabwe continues to record remarkable strides in the health sector. A lot of success stories are being recorded in open heart surgeries, as well as in the construction of health institutions.