A man appeared in court yesterday accused of striking his cousin and killing him using a knobkerrie following an argument over an exchange rate of US dollar to the South African Rand.
Lenin Mhlophe, 23, of Sibantubanye Village in Filabusi allegedly killed his cousin Mmeli Tshili, 21, last year on July 1st.
He appeared before Justice Lawrence Kamocha at the Bulawayo High Court facing murder charges.
Prosecuting, Nokuthaba Ngwenya described what happened on that evening at Mphehlane Nightclub at Vocola Business Centre in Filabusi while the pair were watching a match on the television.
The court was told  that the two cousins  decided to go outside to play snooker while listening to music played in the bar from Mhlophe’s mobile phone memory card.
Tshili liked  the music and quickly  offered to buy the memory card from Mhlophe.
“Tshili bought the memory card from Mhlophe for $6 and expected to get $4 change from R100,” said Ngwenya.
An argument started when Mhlophe gave Tshili only $3  stating that the exchange rate for United States dollar and the South African rand was not 1:10 as he claimed.
His continuous demand for his $1 angered Mhlophe who then dashed  back into the nightclub to fetch a knobkerrie which he used to hit his cousin Tshili on the  head.
“Mhlophe took his knobkerrie and hit Tshili on the head once and he fell to the ground. He ran away from the scene leaving his cousin lying unconscious,” said Ngwenya.
Tshili’s uncle, Majaha Masuku, testified in court, saying he tried to perform first aid  on Tshili before his nephew was rushed to Filabusi Hospital where he  then was referred to the United Bulawayo Hospitals.
“Soon after committing the crime, Mhlophe took his bicycle and disappeared into the dark.
I tried to perform first aid to my nephew, but this didn’t work and he  bleeding from his nose and head,” said Masuku.
Two days later the court heard  how Tshili’s condition got worse and he died .
A post-mortem report said the cause of death was intracranial haemorrhage, depressed skull fracture and blunt force trauma.
Mhlophe’s lawyer,Caroline Mudenda, defended  him saying  he only acted to defend himself.
“I didn’t intend to kill Tshili but I only acted to protect myself.
Tshili was the aggressor and I only reacted after he had pushed me against the wall and that’s when I struck him with a knobkerrie,” argued Mhlophe.