25 yrs jail for wife killer

By Leonard Ncube

A man from Nyamandlovu who killed his wife after accusing her of infidelity has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Maxwell Takuva who is on circuit in Hwange, on passing the sentence, said men who beat up women should be removed from society.

The court heard how Elvis Ngwenya (29) of Village 3 Seafield in Nyamandlovu fatally assaulted his wife Primrose Ncube last year.

Ngwenya suspected that Ncube (23) was cheating on him with a neighbour called Mr Vusumuzi Ncube and used a switch and belt to assault her at Deli Train Station at night.

The couple had just disembarked from the Victoria Falls-bound train when they met Mr Ncube who was on his way to an all night prayer.

Ngwenya confronted Mr Ncube who denied having an affair with his wife.

Justice Takuva found Ngwenya guilty of murder with constructive intent.

“In terms of the Domestic Violence Act, no one has a right to assault anyone even one’s wife. We are not in the archaic customary marriage era where women were treated anyhow because they were not equal to men.

“You had no proof of the affair and as such you had no right to beat the deceased hence we deny the defence of provocation. It’s clear to any reasonable person that your conduct deserves punishment because you caused unnecessary loss of life.

“There is also a need for a sentence that is deterrent to people who think they can kill women. It’s better for two men to fight each other instead of beating a defenceless woman. You are therefore sentenced to 25 years in jail and I hope when you come out you won’t repeat such conduct,” said Justice Takuva.

Ngwenya had pleaded not guilty to murder but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of culpable homicide claiming he was provoked when his wife referred to him as a useless impotent man.

Justice Takuva said being insulted is not a defence at law and not a reason to assault a person.

The judge said Ngwenya acted recklessly because he had no proof of the alleged infidelity.

He said the courts had to resort to retributive punishment to restore rule of law and dissuade members of the public from taking the law into their own hands.

Prosecuting Mrs Charlene Gorerino said Ngwenya indiscriminately assaulted his wife with a belt and switch and also kicked her all over the body on August 18.

Ngwenya stayed with the injured woman all night and left at around 5AM going home where he removed his bloodstained clothes and hid them under the bed.

While at home, Ngwenya lied to Mr Thabani Maduna that they had been attacked by some robbers who had seriously injured his wife.

Mr Maduna went to the scene and found the woman’s lifeless body lying at the roadside about 100 metres away from the train station with a swollen face, a cut on the forehead and bruises all over the body. The Chronicle