Residents of Hobhouse, a usually calm suburb in Zimbabwe, are struggling to come to terms with a tragic and deeply unsettling incident that claimed the life of a three-year-old boy. 

Police have arrested 39-year-old Netsai Chikuni, accused of violently attacking her son, Ngonidzashe Njerera, in what authorities describe as a horrifying assault.

The incident occurred on the night of November 19 after Chikuni arrived at her brother’s house while he was away in Chipinge. Tenants, acting on the landlord’s approval, let her in. 

Everything seemed normal until the early hours of the morning when chaos suddenly erupted.

According to Acting Manicaland police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, trouble began around 1am. Chikuni reportedly stormed into a tenant’s room, banging aggressively on the door. Unable to calm her, the tenants locked themselves inside as her behaviour grew more alarming.

Moments later, they heard her yelling at her young son, accusing him of trying to harm her. What followed were terrifying sounds of assault, screams, and continuous banging that lasted for hours. Afraid for their lives, the tenants hid in silence until everything suddenly stopped.

One tenant, who witnessed Chikuni’s behaviour earlier in the evening, said she appeared “confused, depressed and possessed” from the moment she entered the house. The witness described the chilling noises that filled the home — the child being slammed against walls, followed by the sound of repeated stabbing.

Throughout the attack, Chikuni was heard shouting disturbing statements, claiming she had been “killed” and “kidnapped,” further raising questions about her mental state during the ordeal.

When police arrived, they found the little boy lying in a pool of blood, with multiple stab wounds to his head and neck. Chikuni was discovered asleep beside him, having also stabbed herself on the legs and hands.

Authorities are now investigating what may have triggered the gruesome attack, including the suspect’s psychological condition. Meanwhile, the Hobhouse community remains overwhelmed with grief, struggling to process the senseless loss of a child whose life was brutally cut short.