Man (34) kills 6-year-old boy who looked like a goblin

A predicted merry Christmas by a Zhombe family turned sorrowful after a neighbour strangled their toddler claiming he was a goblin.

Marvellous Dube (34) of Mangwizi area in Zhombe, Zimbabwe under Chief Malisa is in police custody after being arrested for the alleged murder of the six-year-old boy who had come from Harare to enjoy Christmas holidays with the rest of the family.

According to sources, privy to the incident, on 24 December, the now deceased Takudzwanashe Muguti (6) of the same village had just arrived from the city when he decided to accompany his cousin and two other friends to the bush for cattle herding.

Dube, who stays near Mugutis, is said to have advanced to where the quartet were playing, threatened to beat them up and they all took to their heels for dear life.

"Takudzwanashe was however, outpaced by the others and was left behind, prompting Dube to get hold of the boy," said the source.

It is further alleged that Dube grabbed the boy and dragged him to a nearby stream where he strangled him and plunged his face in the mud.

Members of the public, responding to the alarm raised by the other minors who had managed to escape, attended the scene and found Dube in tears sitting helplessly besides the body of the toddler.

"We got there and found him crying next to the body of the young boy whom he had covered with grass and tree leaves. We immediately effected citizen's arrest and handed him to the police," said a man who only identified himself as Sibanda.

Dube, however, shocked everyone when he said he saw a goblin and decided to attack it before it attacked him first, much to the chagrin of the public who requested to mute instant justice but were restrained by the police.

A police source said Dube is supposed to appear incourt soon after being examined by a psychiatristin Harare.

"We were shocked when he said he thought it was a goblin so he decided to deal with it before it killed him. We had to stop the marauding crowd from beating him up as they claimed he is not normal. They said he deserved a thorough bashing but we could not allow that," said a police detail who attended the scene.