POLICE in Bulawayo have launched a manhunt for an 18-year-old man who fatally stabbed his neighbour with a kitchen knife following a misunderstanding.

Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele identified the fugitive as Melusi Dube and the deceased as Thabani Tshuma.

“We are investigating a murder case which occurred in Cowdray Park on June 10, where Thabani Tshuma (18) of Cowdary Park was stabbed by his neighbour Melusi Dube, also aged 18, to death,” Msebele said.

“On the fateful day at around 7pm, Tshuma’s father (39) sent him to go and buy some vegetables. Tshuma left the house and within a few minutes, his father heard him screaming outside and he went to investigate what was happening.

“He saw him running towards the house, while Dube was in hot pursuit holding a kitchen knife. Thabani fell into an open soakaway pit.”

She said Tshuma’s father confronted Dube to establish what had happened.

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According to Msebele, Dube told Tshuma’s father to take his son into the house before he could finish him off.

“The father proceeded to the pit where Thabani Tshuma was lying and he observed that he was bleeding profusely under the left breast,” she said.

“He was in pain and struggling to breathe and could not talk. After a few minutes, he stopped breathing. A police report was made.

“An ambulance was summoned and the crew pronounced him dead on its arrival. Police recovered the kitchen knife that was used to stab Tshuma.”