Cannibal 'killed friend and ate steak-sized slice of flesh from his back' after argument



A suspected cannibal has appeared in court after allegedly murdering his friend and eating his flesh.

Mfanimpela Msibi is said to have stabbed Musi Makhanya and removed a steak-sized slice of flesh from his back before grilling it in the oven and tucking in.

The suspect, a vegetable farmer and father of two, was arrested at his home in Swaziland after his horrified family apparently realised what he had done.

Cannibal: The suspect, a vegetable farmer and father of two, was arrested at his home in Swaziland after his horrified family apparently realised what he had done

Police spokeswoman Wendy Hleta said officers interrupted the suspected killer as he calmly chewed on his friend following the brutal killing.

She said: 'The two men were old friends and were eating their dinner in the suspect's kitchen when they had some sort of quarrel.

'It is alleged that Msibi killed his friend with a knife and then sliced off a piece of flesh from his back, near his shoulder.

'He was halfway through his dinner when the incident happened, and it is alleged that he then grilled the meat in the oven and added it to his plate.

'He then went into the next room where his family was sitting and started eating.'

Police said the suspect and his alleged victim were both aged in their twenties and had been drinking and smoking cannabis before the murder.

Hleta said officers were called to the scene after Msibi's family's spotted he was eating meat and then saw the dead body.

She said: 'It is claimed that he came through to the other room and started to eat his dinner, but the family were confused as there was no meat in the house.

'One of them went into the kitchen and saw the victim lying in a pool of blood. They called the police and when the officers arrived he was still finishing his meal.

'It seemed that he had not cooked the flesh properly all the way through and it had proven to be chewier than he expected.' - Police spokeswoman Wendy Hleta

'It seemed that he had not cooked the flesh properly all the way through and it had proven to be chewier than he expected.'

Msibi was remanded in custody after the incident, which happened on February 24 at his home in the western Swazi town of Mankayane.

He appeared in court on Monday to face charges of murder and violating a corpse.

A judge had previously heard the suspect was psychologically unstable and could be too unwell to stand trial.

But yesterday a state psychiatrist told the court he believed Msibi was mentally stable and fit to be prosecuted.

The farmer has denied any part in the murder and previously applied for bail after claiming his wife and children would suffer financially if he was unable to work.