Pardoned convict hangs self over ‘cheating wife’

By Walter Mswazie

An ex-convict from Gutu who was last week released from prison on Presidential Amnesty committed suicide by hanging, after accusing his wife of cheating on him while he was incarcerated.

Ishmael Zinyoro, 36, of Munangarwa Village under Chief Gutu was found hanging in their matrimonial bedroom by his wife when she returned home from fetching water from a nearby well.

Zinyoro went home following his release from Mutimurefu Prison in Masvingo when he was pardoned after serving one year of a two and a half years sentence for unlawful entry and theft.

The incident, confirmed by Masvingo spokesperson Inspector Charity Mazula, occurred on Monday at around 9PM.

Insp Mazula said Zinyoro’s body was taken to Gutu District Hospital mortuary for post-mortem.

Zinyoro was one of the over 2,000 inmates released from all prisons around the country on Presidential amnesty on Africa Day.

“I can confirm receiving a case of sudden death by hanging. The deceased is said to have had a dispute with his wife after which he hanged himself with a rope from the roof trusses,” said Insp Mazula.

A villager, Obert Mafukidze said Zinyoro arrived home from Mutimurefu Prison on Africa Day after he was pardoned.

He then accused his wife Maud Muchena, 26, of engaging in extra-marital affairs during his absence.

He also complained over her failure to visit him while he was in prison and told Muchena that he was going to commit suicide.

“Zinyoro told Muchena that she had been seeing other men and she was only pretending that she loved him. He wasn’t also happy that she didn’t visit him when he was still in jail but Muchena denied all that,” said Mafukidze.

At around 9PM, Zinyoro asked for some water to bath and Muchena immediately went outside to a nearby well with a bucket to fetch some water. When she returned, Muchena was shocked to find her husband already dead. The Chronicle