A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to prison after attacking his friend for walking too slowly following a drinking spree in Emakhandeni, Zimbabwe.
The incident took place in the late morning of December 3, 2025, after the two men had been drinking together at a house in the area. Court evidence revealed that both were heavily intoxicated when they left the premises and began walking home.
Along the way, one of the men struggled to keep up because of his drunken state, a situation that reportedly angered his companion. Losing patience, the attacker turned violent.
The court heard that the assailant struck his friend several times with a knobkerrie, targeting different parts of the body, before escalating the assault by hitting him with an empty beer bottle. The victim suffered facial injuries and was rushed to hospital for medical treatment.
The attacker, identified as Previous Nyathi, later appeared before Western Commonage regional magistrate Pasipanodya Maturure, facing a charge of attempted murder. Nyathi told the court that alcohol had impaired his judgment and that he later regretted his actions.
He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, with two years suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within five years. The remaining three years will be served effectively.
