Man fatally assaults wife, another takes poison
A Harare man appeared in court on Wednesday charged with the murder of his wife during the current lockdown called by the Government to contain the spread of Covid-19.
The case comes against the backdrop of concerns over a sharp increase in gender-based violence (GBV) over the lockdown period.
Prince Chada (25) of Amsterdam Park, Harare South, allegedly fatally assaulted his wife, Tafadzwa Bhinzi, on April 19 and appeared before magistrate Mrs Judith Taruvinga charged with murder.
He was remanded in custody to May 7 with instructions to apply for bail at the High Court due to the gravity of his offence.
Prosecuting, Mr Panganai Chiutsi alleged that on April 19, Chada was at home with his wife when an altercation ensued between them.
Chada allegedly became violent and started punching and kicking his wife.
He is said to have armed himself with an electrical cable, which he used to further assault her, the court heard.
She cried for help, but no one came to her rescue. Chada, it is alleged, kept on whipping her as she lay on the floor pleading for mercy until she died.
In a separate incident, five brothers allegedly teamed up and assaulted their neighbour, seriously injuring him after accusing him of having an extra-marital affair with one of their sisters-in-law.
Lee, Nelson, Valentine, Ashton and Arthur Hufa from Chinamhora, Mushayapekuvaka village, recently appeared in court before magistrate Mr Richard Ramaboa charged with attempted murder.
They are being jointly charged with their colleague, Silas William.
The six were remanded in custody after the State led by Mr George Manokore opposed bail on the basis that the complainant, Tineyi Hamba, was battling for his life at a local hospital.
He was said to be admitted in the Intensive Care Unit after sustaining head and back injuries.
It is the State’s case that the gang teamed up and assaulted Hamba all over his body using a wire and cables accusing him off bedding Valentine’s wife.
Meanwhile, our Mashonaland Central correspondent reports that a 25-year-old man from Chesa, Mt Darwin, committed suicide by gulping an insecticide four days after his girlfriend eloped to him.
Provincial police spokesperson Inspector Milton Mundembe confirmed the incident, which happened on April 14 at Farm No. 24, Chesa.
He said Samantha Mangwende (21) of Ridgeview in Mt Darwin eloped to the late Takudzwa Magunje’s home and his parents accepted her as their daughter-in-law, but Takudzwa refused to stay with her.
He locked himself up in his bedroom after his parents tried unsuccessfully to persuade him to accept the woman.
“At around 6pm, he drank an insecticide and started calling for his brother, Tafadzwa, who asked their father Josiah to help break down the door to Takudzwa’s bedroom,” said Insp Mundembe.
Insp Mundembe appealed to people to share their problems with their immediate families or church elders or to go for professional counselling.
“Suicide is not the answer,” he said. “We advise youths to take their time when choosing their life partners. Do not to enter into relationships of convenience because they have consequences.”
In another incident at Grace Mining Syndicate at Barrasite Farm in Bindura, Effort Zisadza (22) suffocated after he went down a 20-metre deep mineshaft to pump water with the help of two colleagues.
“With the assistance of the two, Zisadza entered the mineshaft to connect the pump,” he said. “He then shouted to the pair to pull him out as he was running short of air.
“They pulled him out, but he was showing signs of exhaustion and they rushed him to Shashi Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.”
Police and the Inspector of Mines attended the scene. The Herald
