They deserved to die: Madman Lisani Nleya who returned from SA to rob, kill elderly parents in Zimbabwe

A SOUTH AFRICA based hoodlum from Mangwe in Plumtree, who allegedly killed his parents in cold blood and firebombed their bodies after robbing his mother of 200 rand, yesterday led police on indications at the homestead.

Lisani Nleya (45) appeared remorseless as he casually narrated how he carried out the “revenge killings.”

Shackled in leg irons and handcuffs, Lisani told  cops 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.

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.

After he was done, Lisani 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.

The victims were buried in one big grave just centimetres apart at Empandeni Mission Cemetery, on September 8 last year.

state media