By Godfrey Mtimba
MASVINGO – An official in Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC party, who caught his second wife bedding another man, has committed suicide, moments after hacking his spouse’s lover to death.
Police confirmed the case, while an MDC official said the man, Cleopas Madariro, was indeed an active party official. The 35-year-old Madariro is the MDC organising secretary for Masvingo central district.
According to police spokesperson Peter Zhanero, Madariro was enraged after finding 34-year-old Charles Matavada naked with his 28-year-old wife, Sarah Ruwode at Chesvingo Business Centre in Murinye. Ruwode worked there as a barmaid.
Zhanero said Madariro committed suicide on Tuesday after the murder. He hanged himself near his homestead at Farm 224 Mushawasha small scale farming area.
According to Zhanero, Madariro, suspecting that his wife was cheating on him, woke up at around 1am and headed to Chesvingo Business Centre, Ruwode’s workplace.
On arrival, Madariro went straight to a room where his wife slept since the bar was closed. A male voice responded to his knock, resulting in Madariro demanding that the lovebirds open the door but the two refused to oblige.
Zhanero said Madariro tried to break the door but failed and later gained entry through the window. He caught Matavada putting on his under garment while his wife was stark naked, according to police.
The wife was the first one to bolt out of the room after unlocking it and ran for dear life in her “birthday suit”. Her alleged lover, in his underwear, followed. Madariro, who was armed with an axe, chased them and caught the boyfriend 30 metres away and struck him once on the head. He died instantly.
Madariro was later discovered hanging from a tree near his cattle pen the following day by police who had received a murder report. MDC Masvingo Central MP Jeffryson Chitando described the incident as “sad”.
“It is sad we have lost our member in that way. We did not expect that things would go that way. He was an active member of our party and we are waiting for the family to give us details of burial arrangements. But as the MDC, we urge people to resolve their differences amicably,” said Chitando. Daily News