A mother from the peaceful Hobhouse suburb, Zimbabwe, has been plunged into profound shock and grief following a harrowing incident that resulted in the death of her three-year-old son. Local authorities have confirmed the arrest of 39-year-old Netsai Chikuni, who stands accused of carrying out a fatal assault that left the child, Ngonidzashe Njerera, with multiple stab wounds to his head and neck. The act has devastated the community, leaving residents struggling to comprehend a tragedy they describe as senseless and deeply disturbing.
The sequence of events began on the evening of November 19 when Chikuni and her son arrived at her brother’s house in Hobhouse. The brother, Admire Chilamwita, was away in Chipinge, and the tenants living at the property allowed Chikuni inside after receiving permission from the landlord. For the rest of the evening, nothing unusual occurred, until early morning when the situation spiralled into chaos.
Acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, described the escalation in chilling detail. He said: “Around 1am, Chikuni woke up and went to the tenant’s bedroom, knocking violently. The tenant’s brother opened the door but failed to communicate with her since she was violent. He locked his door from inside.”
He further explained what tenants heard in the moments that followed: “After about five minutes, the tenant heard Chikuni shouting at her child, saying: ‘Idya chingwa ukuda kundiurayisa’ (Eat your bread, you want to kill me). The tenant also heard Chikuni assaulting Ngonidzashe, and she did not come out because of fear.”
The sounds of the assault continued for hours. Tenants described an atmosphere of fear and helplessness, and when silence finally fell, they alerted neighbours and contacted the police. One tenant who witnessed what happened and spoke anonymously recounted Chikuni’s alarming behaviour from the moment she arrived, saying, “She was appearing confused, depressed and possessed when she came here. We tried to stop her, insisting that we should get permission first from the landlord before allowing her in the house. She ignored us, stormed into the house.”
The same witness described the terrifying sounds of the attack, adding: “We heard her smashing her son on the walls until he stopped crying. She stabbed him on the head and blood splashed all over the walls and kitchen furniture. She was so violent and no one could stop her.”
Throughout the assault, Chikuni was shouting disturbing phrases such as, “Makandiuraya, ndakaurayiwa, ma next door hamundionewo here. Ndaka kidnapwa ndakaurayiwa hamundionewo here.” (You have killed me, I have been killed, you next door, don’t you see me? I was kidnapped and killed, don’t you see me?)
When police arrived, they found the child’s lifeless body lying in a pool of blood. Chikuni herself had inflicted wounds on her legs and hands and was discovered asleep next to her son. Authorities have launched a full investigation into the motive and psychological condition behind the devastating act, as the community continues to grapple with shock, grief, and unanswered questions.