More Details Emerge After Ex-Minister Brutally Attacked In Love Triangle

Shocking Details Emerge After Ex-Minister Stabbed In Love Row

Former Cabinet Minister Joel Gabbuza is still battling for his life at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo following a violent knife and axe attack in what sources say was a revenge ambush linked to a suspected love triangle.

The 62-year-old former Binga South MP was stabbed more than a dozen times after allegedly being caught red-handed with a married woman in her rural homestead.

“He was attacked in the early hours of Friday, June 7, by two men who used knives and an axe,” confirmed National Police Spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi.

“The suspects are still on the run, but investigations are underway.”

Ambushed after slashed tyres

New details have emerged showing the attack was not random—it was premeditated.

According to villagers in Siamakwa Village, Ward 18, Gabbuza had given the woman a lift earlier that day. But instead of returning home, he decided to spend the night at her homestead.

“They waited for him to fall asleep,” said one witness.

“Then they crept in under the cover of darkness, slashed his tyres, and entered the room while he was asleep.”

Reports say the two men—believed to be the woman’s estranged husband and his cousin—used a knife and axe in the frenzied attack. Gabbuza suffered deep lacerations to his head and hands.

“He was bleeding heavily and drifting in and out of consciousness,” said a family friend.

“He was rushed to Hwange Colliery Hospital before being transferred to Bulawayo for urgent surgery.”

The attackers reportedly fled immediately after the assault, disappearing into the night.

Political heavyweight in critical condition

Gabbuza, who served as Minister of Water Resources during the 2009–2013 GNU era, remains in a critical state. He has undergone emergency surgery at Mpilo Hospital and is being closely monitored.

Gabbuza was recalled from Parliament in October 2023 but remained active in Matabeleland North politics. His long-standing influence in the Binga community has made the news of the attack all the more shocking.

“This has shaken the entire village. Everyone is talking about it,” said a local shopkeeper.
“Some blame the attackers, some say the situation was avoidable, but everyone agrees it went too far.”

Police have appealed for information from the public to assist in tracking the two suspects.

“We urge anyone with knowledge of the suspects’ whereabouts to come forward,”
said Commissioner Nyathi.

As investigations continue, villagers remain divided. Some express sympathy for the politician, while others believe personal choices may have played a role.