75-year-old axes wife (57), hangs self

By Thupeyo Muleya

A 75-year-old man from the Whunga area in Beitbridge West went berserk during a dispute with his live-in partner (57) and killed her with a machete and an axe, before hanging himself.

Sitoboli Maluko killed Violet Ncube while his 16-year-old stepson watched in shock on Monday last week before hanging himself from a nearby tree.

Police officer commanding Beitbridge district, Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo, said the bodies were taken to the Beitbridge district mortuary pending a post-mortem.

Chief Sup Nyongo said initial investigations revealed that Maluko and Ncube started cohabiting in January this year at Ms Ncube’s homestead.

“So far, we have established that on April 5 around midnight, Ncube and Maluko had a heated argument over an unknown matter in their bedroom.

“On the same date at around 0930 hours, Maluko and Ncube along with his stepson (16), drove their donkey-drawn cart to Sebasa Irrigation Scheme. Maluko had a machete and an axe in the scotch cart,” said Chief Supt Nyongo.

After travelling for about 5km from their homestead, Maluko suddenly attacked Ncube with a machete and she started running away.

He followed in pursuit and struck the woman on the right knee and she fell down.

Maluko then chopped off Ncube’s left palm, inflicting a deep cut on the right wrist, before striking her on the right side of the neck with an axe.

“After realising she was motionless, he took his axe and machete from the crime scene. He went on to hang himself from a nearby tree,” said Chief Supt Nyongo.

He said the stepson who had been watching the attacks on his mother was in shock, later gained strength and returned to the village to inform his sister, who then made a police report.

Ncube’s body was found lying in a pool of blood while Maluko’s was recovered from a tree 20m from the murder scene.

Chief Supt Nyongo said further investigations into the matter are underway. The Herald