A PASTOR from Bulawayo cheated death after he was attacked by an armed six-member gang along Bulawayo-Nkayi Road.
The machetes and iron rod wielding men, who drove a blue Toyota RunX, appeared from some Chinese mining site, sped into the main road where they collided onto Pastor Eshumael Ndlovu (54) of Mzilikazi Baptist Church in Mzilikazi suburb, driving a Toyota Corolla.
The seemingly drunken gang jumped out of their vehicle and attacked Pastor Ndlovu with weapons.
He sustained two deep cuts on the forehead, one on the head and complained of body pains all over his body.
The incident occurred at around 6PM last Thursday at Mbembesi Bridge.
Pastor Ndlovu, who was coming from his rural home in Nkayi, had given a lift to one man whom he said was not sure what happened to him, whether he too was attacked or he just fled from the scene.
A Good Samaritan rushed him to Inyathi District Hospital where he was further transferred to Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo for further management.
District Nursing Officer Todd Ngwenya confirmed treating Pastor Ndlovu on Thursday night at Inyathi District Hospital.
“We attended to a man who was injured by six men who attacked him with weapons. He was slashed with a machete and sustained two deep cuts. We however, transferred him to Mpilo Central Hospital for further management,” he said.
Matabeleland North police spokesperson Inspector Siphiwe Makonese said no arrests had been made yet and investigations were underway.
“We received a report of a man who was attacked by six men who injured him with weapons. They got away with his cellphone. Police are appealing to anyone who may have information that may lead to the arrest of the suspects. Investigations are underway,” she said.
When B-Metro caught up with Pastor Ndlovu at his home in Mzilikazi he said he was thankful to the Almighty because he cheated death by a whisker.
“Reflecting on the war I survived, I testify that the Lord is indeed there. Those men intended to kill me without mercy. I have never fought, worse fighting six men at once, and I can’t believe I defeated them,” he said.
He said he suspected the men only intended to rob him but because he retaliated strongly, overpowering them, they fled with only his cellphones and earphones.
“A nasty fight broke out after I retaliated against one of them, pushing him to the ground. I don’t know what happened to the man I was with because I fought one of the gang members to the bridge and almost passed out while I bled profusely.
“At some point I thought of running to hide under the bridge but a voice told me that that was going to be the end of me, as they were going to kill me down there and no one was going to find my body, so I stayed on the road. I asked for help from two vehicles which went past us as I wrestled one of them while others tried to pull their vehicle off the road,” said the Pastor.
He said when he finally managed to grab the machete, he tried to slash his rival too, but realised he was dizzy and too weak to hold it up, missing him and it fell in the nearby bush.
“I then managed to flee into the bush where I hid until the gang left, leaving their vehicle behind. One of them dropped his cellphone and a police identified the owner, a notorious gangster (name withheld) and I am sure they are hunting the culprits down,” said Pastor Ndlovu.
