A 32-year-old Mwenezi woman gruesomely axed her husband and their three-year-old daughter leaving axes stuck in their heads before committing suicide following a heated misunderstanding over who should take care of the family, police have confirmed.
Masvingo provincial police spokesperson Inspector
Kudakwashe Dhewa told Sunday News that Simbarashe Butete (32) of Paringura
Village, Chief Neshuro and his three-year-old girl child were killed in cold
blood after a misunderstanding with Florence Nhotito, his wife and mother to
the child who later committed suicide.
The incident occurred in Mwenezi. “On 2 January at around
7am Butete had a misunderstanding with his wife Nhotito who was accusing him of
not taking care of his family. This was happening in the presence of their
eight-year-old son who Nhotito later sent to her mother in-law Jerida Zvakare
(65) to fetch firewood. While he was still there, it is suspected that the
argument got heated and out of rage, Nhotito struck her husband who was in the
bedroom with an axe in the head leaving it stuck and proceeded to take another
axe and did the same to her three-year-old daughter who was on the sofa,” said
Insp Dhewa.
He said after committing the heinous crime, Nhotito left
the house and went to her brother’s home where her 14-year-old daughter was
staying.
She told the teenager to take care of her eight-year-old
brother and that she had killed their father and little sister before
disappearing into the bush. Nhotito was later found hanging from a tree three
kilometres from her house in the next village.
The bodies were taken to Rutenga Hospital for post-mortem.
Butete had a deep cut on the left side of the head with the axe stuck on the
right side while the baby had a deep cut on the back of the head and the axe
was also stuck on the side of the head.
Insp Dhewa urged members of the public not to settle their
differences when they are angry and should always seek mediators.
“We urge members of the public to seek intervention from
mediators or approach the nearest police and seek counselling from the
community liaison officer, or the Victim Friendly Unit or they can approach
community leaders,” he said.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, Irene Sithole (6) of
Village 3 Chomutamba, Chief Mazetese, Mwenezi was beaten to death and had parts
removed from her body before it was set alight by her uncle Taruziva Sithole
(37) after she had lost cattle she was herding.
Sources say Sithole started beating his niece together with
the boy that was accompanying her after they could not give a satisfactory
answer as to where they were when they lost the cattle. After Sithole had
recovered the herd he followed Irene home where he continued beating her until
she was unconscious.
“When Sithole discovered that Irene was dead, he took her
to his bedroom hut where he put the deceased in a ‘shangani’ bag before leaving
the house to a nearby bush. He was assisted by Shakemore Dube who is the
younger brother to the deceased’s father. They allegedly removed private parts
from the girl’s body which they intended to sell in South Africa. The case is
in court now,” said the source. Sunday News
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