Man stabs ex-wife over love messages

By Grace Nyoni

Police have launched a manhunt for a 35-year-old Gweru man who allegedly stabbed his ex-wife with a knife several times in the chest after reading love messages on her cellphone.

Acting Midlands police spokesperson Sergeant Xolani Dube said police were looking for Lovemore Chagonda of Clifton Park in Gweru on allegations of stabbing his ex-wife Ms Valentine Chikanya over some reported love messages that he found in her cellphone.

Chagonda, Sgt Dube said, was facing attempted murder charges following the incident that happened last week near Mutasa dumping site in Gweru’s Woodlands suburb.

“Police in Gweru are investigating a case of attempted murder where the complainant, Valentine Chikanya, was seriously stabbed with a knife by her jealousy former husband near Mutasa dumping site in Gweru,” he said.

Sgt Dube said on Monday last week at around 10pm, Chagonda visited his ex-wife before inviting her to his workplace to collect some firewood.

“It is alleged that the two were once married and later divorced,” he said.

“On Tuesday last week, the complainant went to her former husband’s workplace as per their agreement.

“Upon arrival, it is alleged that he took the complainant’s cellphone and started scrolling through her messages and discovered some love messages.”

Sgt Dube said Chagonda was allegedly incensed by the love messages and he took out a knife from his pocket and stabbed his former wife.

“Chikanya sustained severe injuries in her stomach and breasts before she became unconscious,” said Sgt Dube.

He said after committing the offence, Chagonda fled the scene, leaving Chakanya lying on the ground.

“A good Samaritan found Chikanya lying unconscious in a pool of blood and called an ambulance, which rushed her to Gweru Provincial Hospital where she is still admitted,” said Sgt Dube.

In a separate case, a 30-year-old man from Kwekwe was seriously injured after he was stabbed with a kitchen knife by his wife, who was angry over a previous argument, after he tried to hug her.

Acting Midlands police spokesperson Sergeant Xolani Dube confirmed the stabbing of Peter Shoko allegedly by his wife Lightness Magiya in Kwekwe on last week.

Sgt Dube said Magiya was allegedly welcomed with a knife instead of the hug he was expecting from his wife last Tuesday at around 10pm.

He said Shoko of Village 1, Milsonia, Kwekwe, arrived home after he had gone to collect his debts and found his wife in the kitchen cutting vegetables.

“On entering the kitchen, he tried to hug her, but she refused and she violently shoved him away, which surprised the husband who tried to reason with her, oblivious to the fact that she was still angry with him over a fight they had the previous day,” said Sgt Dube.

“It is alleged that she then advanced to where he was standing and stabbed him several times on the left side of his body with the kitchen knife.”

Shoko, Sgt Dube said, bled after sustaining serious injuries before neighbours ferried him to Kwekwe District Hospital.

He said the matter was reported to the police, leading to Magiya’s arrest.

“We are appealing to members of the public to exercise restraint when they are provoked and also seek outside help with dispute resolution to avoid violence, which mostly leads to unnecessary loss of life,” he said. The Herald