afrol News, 26 July - A Zimbabwean Editor, Abel Mutsakani, is currently battling with survival in a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa after he was shot and seriously injured by a gang of three unknown assailants last Monday.

Mt Mutsakani, who is the former Managing Editor of the banned ’Daily News’, is the Editor of the popular ‘ZimOnline‘ that publishes from the neighbouring South Africa.

“He is in a serious but stable condition,“ the Editor of ‘ZimOnline’, Abel Chapatarongo, said.

Bianca, the wife of the shot Editor explained how the three assailants struck at her husband around 9:00 pm while he was parking his car at their house in western Johannesburg.

One of the assailants pulled a gun and fired at Mr Mutsakani. The bullet went through his raised elbow and ricocheted into his chest thus rupturing his lung and remains lodged near his heart.

After the shooting, the assailants fled without robbing Mutsakani, raising doubts about the motive behind the attack. Johannesburg police have opened investigations on the case, but nobody was arrested in connection with the case.

"Doctors are still assessing whether they could perform surgery to remove the bullet, but they have indicated that this was unlikely because the bullet is lodged in a very delicate position near the heart," Chapatarongo said, condemning what he called “an act of shameless cowardice.“

South African doctors were expected to perform surgery on Mutsakani’s left hand that had become semi-paralysed.

Mutsakani’s former paper, ‘The Daily News’ was Zimbabwe’s best-selling daily newspaper until its ban in September 2003. This forced him to move to Johannesburg where he had launched ‘ZimOnline’ together with other Zimbabwean journalist.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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