Jilted man rips open lover’s tummy, poisons self

By Munyaradzi Musiiwa

GWERU – A jilted Gweru taxi driver allegedly ripped open his long-time girlfriend’s stomach, gouged out her eyes with a screw driver and strangled her before attempting to commit suicide by drinking poison.

The gruesome murder which has left residents of the Midlands capital shell-shocked occurred on Wednesday at around 3PM in Mkoba Village 17.

It is said the spurned taxi driver, identified only as Charles, allegedly stabbed and ripped open the stomach of his estranged girlfriend, Fadzai Chipfunde with a kitchen knife and plucked out her eyes with a screw driver before striking her on the head with a brick.

Charles, who was suspected to have been intoxicated, went on to strangle Chipfunde with a piece of cloth before attempting to take his own life by downing a poisonous substance.

However, Charles was rushed to Gweru Provincial Hospital by fellow tenants where he is battling for life.

Chipfunde’s body was left in the room for about 24 hours before being retrieved yesterday by police and relatives.

When a Chronicle news crew arrived at the house, shocked residents were gathered outside trying to come to terms with the horrific incident.

Police and Chipfunde’s relatives retrieved her body from her spare bedroom in which the gruesome murder occurred.

Her aunt, Precious Mudavanhu, alleged that Charles went to her niece’s place where the two had an altercation.

“Chipfunde was alone at home when Charles visited her in the afternoon. The two had an argument resulting in Charles dragging her into the spare bedroom where he allegedly murdered her before taking a poisonous substance. I was then told that my niece had been murdered and I rushed back home from college,” she said.

A fellow tenant who refused to be named alleged that Chipfunde and Charles had a misunderstanding after she had ditched him.

The tenant said Charles came to Chipfunde’s place in a drunken stupor and dragged her to one of the bedrooms where a heated argument ensued.

“Charles locked the door and started assaulting Chipfunde. He stabbed her in the stomach, ripping it open with a kitchen knife before using a screw driver to pluck out her eyes. He then struck her with a brick on the head before strangling her. She died instantly,” said the tenant.

Charles, the tenant added, went on to down poison and refused to open the door because he did not want to be taken to hospital.

“It looks like the murder was premeditated because he had brought a poisonous substance which he later took after committing the crime. He soiled himself before he started bleeding through all openings. People had to break the door to gain entry before taking him to hospital,” said the tenant.

Acting Midlands Police Spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende could neither deny nor confirm the incident.

“I do not have a full report on the matter therefore I’m not in a position to confirm. I will furnish you with the details once I get them,” she said. The Chronicle