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MAN KILLED IN BAR BRAWL

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MPOMPOTHA – A petty dispute over a woman set off a nasty fight inside a bar on Saturday night, culminating in the death of one patron while another remains critical in hospital.

The fatal bar brawl occurred at a popular watering hole in Mpompotha, which is situated halfway between Hlatikhulu and Sithobelweni. Regulars at the bar said a festive atmosphere prevailed inside the bar where some patrons enjoyed music playing from a juke box, while others were glued to the television screen, watching a game between South African teams Orlando Pirates and Polokwane City. A witness said it was around 8pm when a man approached one of the tables, where a few men were seated with a certain woman, and invited her to the dance floor. Apparently, the man and the woman had earlier on enjoyed each other’s company. Reports are that the man had even entertained the woman with drinks during their previous encounter. However, the woman had already changed tables when the man asked her to come and dance with him, triggering an angry reaction from the men who were now seated with her. A furious man reportedly rose up from his seat and confronted the man they believed was stalking the woman. The duo ended up exchanging heated blows.

Two friends of the man who reacted angrily when he saw another man accosting the woman, realised he was being overpowered and joined in to assist. This resulted in a savage punch-up which ended outside the bar, where the lone fighter further proved to be too much for the three friends to handle. It was during that skirmish where one of the friends allegedly produced a knife and stabbed their attacker once in the chest. “He pushed the knife in with a powerful thrust and then took it out before he disappeared into the dark. The victim collapsed but no one was quick to realise he had been stabbed as the fighters had just been exchanging blows and he seemed to be defeating the three friends,” narrated an eyewitness. He said moments later, another patron couldn’t believe it when he saw the victim writhing in a pool of blood. He said upon closer inspection, the patrons realised the man had been stabbed.
A manhunt for the person suspected to have inflicted the wound was quickly launched by the bar patrons. This led the mob to a certain car that was parked nearby. As the mob approached, two men believed to have been part of the fight jumped out and bolted, while the driver of the vehicle remained behind.

While the angry crowd was still enquiring about the assailant from the driver of the car, one of the victim’s brothers used his car to rush the badly injured man to hospital. However, reports are that along the way, the seriously injured man somehow became cold, prompting his devastated sibling to make a quick return to the scene of the fatal brawl, where the angry crowd had already began assaulting the driver of the vehicle where they believed the assailant had sought cover. Then the news that the victim had succumbed to his injuries somehow further triggered another chain of reaction, as the enraged mob used all assortments of weapons, including stones, to beat the terrified driver even after he was down and unconscious. According to another witness, the angry crowd thereafter left the scene, believing that the driver was already dead. Police said it was discovered that the badly injured man still had a pulse when they later arrived at the scene early yesterday morning.

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