Lisani Nleya (45) appeared remorseless as he casually
narrated how he carried out the callous killing.
Shackled in leg irons and handcuffs, Lisani told detectives
that his parents — 83-year-old Mr Nicholas Nleya, who had partially lost his
sight, and his wife Margaret (78) who was walking with the aid of a stick —
deserved to die for bewitching him.
He said he acted alone in the ruthless double-murder that
shocked the country in September last year.
Herdsmen at the homestead told police last year that they
fled for their lives at around 10pm when they heard Margaret begging her
assailant(s) to spare her life.
After killing his parents, Lisani allegedly lit Molotov
cocktails and sticks of dynamite in the hut to destroy evidence. He was
arrested at a prophet’s house in Emakhandeni suburb on Sunday following a tip
off.
Lisani allegedly confessed to police that he had sneaked
into the country from South Africa to commit the horrific crime.
He is said to have cut ties with his family and had not
communicated with them in 15 years. Lisani lived in South Africa but would come
to Zimbabwe to spend time in Bulawayo with friends but never set foot at the
homestead nor bothered to check on his relatives.
Yesterday he was brought to the homestead under heavy
police guard. Clad in white jeans, blue tackies, a brown jacket and a black
mask, Lisani took the officers behind the homestead and showed them how he
entered on the fateful day.
He said his weapons, which included three petrol bombs and
a petrol container, were in a satchel on his shoulders.
Lisani told officers that he demanded money when he entered
his parents’ bedroom hut and his mother extended R200 which he dismissed as too
little. His mother, he said, told him she did not have more as she had just
paid a doctor for a check-up.
Forensic reports and a post-mortem indicate they may have
been axed or stabbed to death before being set alight. Lisani narrated how he
threw three petrol bombs inside the room.
Like a sniper, he said, he threw the first bomb which
ignited the house and provided light for him to aim at his targets with the
second. He said a third bomb did the greatest damage.
It blew up part of the house, shook the ground and threw
him some meters away resulting in a leg injury.
Lisani said after being satisfied that his mission was
complete, he dashed outside the homestead jumping over the fence to evade
people he expected to arrive at any moment.
After observing from a distance for a while, he said he
rushed to the place where he had left a bicycle and cycled about 90km to
Figtree before getting a lift that took him to Bulawayo.
He took his parents’ two cellphones, sold one to a Nigerian
in South Africa and the other is still at his rented place in South Africa. Villagers
who spoke to Chronicle on Monday said Lisani was the black sheep of the family
who deserted the army and headed for South Africa.
They said he was different from his siblings who had “made
it in life” and appeared disinterested in taking advantage of the same
opportunities his parents afforded the family through hard work and education.
Some alleged he had on a number of occasions, threatened to
deal with his parents whom he accused of bewitching him.
The couple was buried in one big grave just centimetres
apart at Empandeni Mission Cemetery, on September 8 last year. Chronicle
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