A 30-YEAR-OLD man from Sikombo village, Mwenezi in Masvingo province allegedly fatally struck his wife with a hoe handle after failing to burn her and his mother-in-law in a kitchen hut he set ablaze.
The incident occurred following a misunderstanding over an undisclosed matter.
Masvingo police spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa said the suspect, Trust Bhonde, had since been arrested.
“On January 12, a case of murder happened, where Bhonde allegedly set a kitchen hut ablaze in which his mother-in-law Sasai Manyuke (50) and his wife Nollen Rivete (27) were sleeping, though they managed to escape,” Dhewa said.
On the fateful day at night, Bhonde allegedly fatally assaulted his wife.
“Bhonde hit his wife on the head once with a hoe handle and also hit her with an unknown sharp object,” Dhewa said.
Keep Reading
- Villagers fight climate change through smart agric
- Minister dragged to court over chieftainship
- Another teenager dies giving birth at shrine
- Health talk: GZU School of Medicine boon for Masvingo
“Rivete sustained a deep cut on the head and the left ear which caused serious bleeding, which made her collapse and die on the spot and was taken to Neshuro District Hospital for postmortem.”
He said Bhonde also assaulted his mother-in-law with a hoe handle several times on the head and the left hand. She is in a critical condition at a local hospital.
Dhewa encouraged citizens not to take the law into their own hands.
“There are community leaders who can help and us the police who are ready to help you solve any problems because violence is not the solution,” he said.