By Whinsley Masara
An allegedly cheating injiva’s wife from Tsholotsho fell pregnant while her husband was in South Africa and allegedly strangled her new born baby then kept its body in a bucket in her bedroom for two days.
Police arrested Babongile Dube (24) of Skente area under Chief Tategulu last Wednesday.
Sources close to the family said Dube ,who lives with her father-in-law, Sibane Moyo (60), went into labour at night on July 2 and gave birth to a baby boy whom she allegedly strangled and kept in a bucket.
“The husband hasn’t come home for a very long time and there was a rumour that Dube was having an affair with someone within the village. We suspect she realised her blunder and decided to kill the baby as a way to conceal evidence of cheating. Perhaps she was still looking for an opportunity to dispose the body,” said a source that preferred anonymity.
Her suspicious father-in-law questioned her the next morning after realising she no longer had the bump and she said she had had a miscarriage.
A police source said the suspect was undergoing medical examinations to prove if she had miscarried or given birth to a full term baby.
Matabeleland North Provincial Police Spokesperson Inspector Siphiwe Makonese confirmed the incident.
“I can confirm receiving a report of a woman who tried to conceal the birth of her child by allegedly strangling and keeping the body in a bucket for two days. Villagers suspected foul play leading to her arrest.
“We urge members of the public to stay faithful to their partners if married to avoid such decisions at the end of the day. To some extent cheating has become the sole reason for murders and assaults among couples,” he said.
A close source who spoke on condition of anonymity said reality and panic struck Dube after she had delivered and was supposed to keep a baby which didn’t belong to her husband.
Her husband is based in the neighbouring country South Africa.
“We realised she fell pregnant during the absence of her husband who hadn’t come home for over a year. This woman had been asking around for herbs to terminate a pregnancy and we heard she once took something but the pregnancy did not go away, she only fell sick.
“We suspect she gave birth and killed the child although she claims to have had a miscarriage saying she wasn’t due yet. Reality only struck her after she was actually holding the baby and was returning home.
“Relatives and neighbours are all aware that pregnancy did not belong to her husband because her husband had not returned home for more than a year, while we are also aware of whom we have seen her with of late. She was cheating which we were aware of,” said the source.
A tip-off was made to police and investigations were made resulting in her arrest. B-Metro
