TSHOLOTSHO – A Tsholotsho man who ate part of his daughter’s face in a chilling act of cannibalism that killed the toddler last year, has been spared jail by a Bulawayo High Court judge.

Mongameli Nkomo, 26, in a trance, committed the cruel act on his daughter, Andile claiming she was a goblin that was threatening to attack him.

He was aged 25 at the time of the offence.

Andile was aged 1 year and 6 months at the time and was living with her mother at her maternal grandparents’ home in Masekesa village under Chief Gampu, Tsholotsho.

On the 20th of February 2023 and at 8PM, Justice Christopher Dube-Banda heard, Nokulunga Mhlanga – Nkomo’s wife – visited him at his homestead to spend the night as a family.

Although staying at her parent’s homestead with the couple’s daughter, Mhlanga was customarily married to Nkomo.

“During the night, the accused woke up and started behaving strangely, alleging that there were goblins which were following him and that something bad would happen.

“Accused knelt down and started praying, he screamed loudly,” prosecutors told the court.

Nkomo is said to have grabbed Nokulunga’s right hand and bit her middle and ring finger before he further bit her on the left hand.

His shocked wife got up and tried to rescue the child from Nkomo who violently seized the toddler from her and continued with the shock abuse.

Failing to save the situation, Mhlanga then escaped through the door and sought help from neighbours.

She returned home with two people named Soneni Tshuma and Vundu Nkomo who had offered assistance.

They found Nkomo standing outside his bedroom hut strangling the toddler with both hands and biting her while at the same time shouting that people should help him.

His now late daughter was no longer crying but kept flipping her hands and legs.

Vundu Nkomo, the court further heard, attempted to grab the child from its father but failed.

Mhlanga joined in and the two finally managed to subdue Nkomo before they tied his hands and legs with a rope.

However, Nkomo maintained his tight grip around his daughter’s neck.

He later loosened the grip and placed his daughter who was no longer showing any signs of life on the ground.

His daughter had a deep cut on the forehead, part of the mouth and chin were missing.

The jaws and teeth were exposed but the missing flesh was not recovered.