A 31-year-old man from Madlambuzi village outside Beit Bridge was arrested for allegedly striking his father (59) with an axe on the head, following a beer brawl.

The incident occurred last Friday at around 19:00 in a local bushy area. “Our preliminary investigations indicate that Mehluli Moyo and his father, Manyaka Moyo, were drinking beer at a local business centre. Later in the evening they decided to go home and it looks like, while on their way, the two men had a misunderstanding, resulting in a fistfight,” local police spokesperson Insp Tafanana Dzirutwe said.

Sensing that he was being overpowered by his dad, the son resorted to his axe, which he used to strike his father twice on the head. He then took to his heels, leaving his father unconscious.

“The suspect proceeded home, where he informed his mother, who then took the victim to their homestead. A report was made to us, leading to the arrest of the suspect,” Dzirutwe said. He said the suspect would soon appear in court on an attempted-murder charge.

Moyo (sr) sustained severe injuries on the head and he was rushed to a local hospital for treatment, where his condition is reportedly critical.