The Chronicle
Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls
AN ABUSIVE Tsholotsho man reportedly committed suicide by hanging after allegedly stabbing his estranged wife and her mother.
Qiniso Ndlovu (42) of Dzonsi Line, under Chief Matupula was married to Ms Simamele Moyo (34) Matemaganu line in neighbouring Chief Tategulu area for 14 years.
Ms Moyo reportedly endured an abusive marriage for 14 years, her family said.
Sadly, like a tragic movie script, the over a decade customary union ended with two people in hospital and another dead.
Ms Moyo and her mother Ms Rosemary Moyo (63) are battling for life at Tsholotsho District Hospital where they were rushed to after Ndlovu, who could not stomach the fact that she had left him, followed her to her parents’ place and stabbed the two.
Ndlovu fled from the scene after the assault and was found hanging from a tree on Sunday, as police hunted him for attempted murder.
The couple had two children and stayed with the eldest daughter aged 14, while the other one resides with a relative in Bulawayo.
Acting police spokesperson for Matabeleland North Assistant Inspector Namatirai Mashona confirmed the attack on the two survivors and death of Ndlovu.
Circumstances are that sometime in June the couple had a misunderstanding and Ms Moyo took their daughter and she went to stay with her parents.
On Friday, Ndlovu reportedly followed and upon arrival he found her in a bedroom hut with her mother.
“He confronted her over the custody of their daughter and a misunderstanding arose between the two. He drew an okapi knife from his pocket and stabbed his wife twice on the right shoulder and twice on the back,” said Assistant Inspector Mashona.
She said Ndlovu allegedly turned the heat on his mother-in-law when she tried to refrain him from further assaulting her daughter.
He allegedly stabbed her twice on the left hand, once on the head and she fell down.
Ms Moyo managed to escape and sought refuge at a neighbour’s homestead leaving her husband attacking her mother.
Ndlovu bolted out of the bedroom hut and fled from the scene when he heard people approaching.
Ms Moyo sustained a deep cut on the right shoulder and on the back and her condition is stable while her mother is in critical condition.
Assistant Inspector Mashona said Ndlovu was found dead, hanging from a tree branch with a synthetic rope around his neck on Sunday.
The couple’s 14-year-old daughter became suspicious when she saw her father leaving home walking towards a nearby bush wearing socks without shoes and alerted neighbours who quickly followed him and found him already dead.
The family said initially some neighbourhood watch committee members who had been sent to collect the girl from Ndlovu’s custody after the stabbing incident, failed to enter the homestead fearing that he would attack them as he was known to be violent the family feared for the safety of the girl.
The Chronicle was told that after stabbing the duo, Ndlovu bragged to his neighbours in his village that he had stabbed his wife.
Ms Moyo’s brother Mr Honest Moyo said both families would convene meetings to discuss marital problems between the couple and Ndlovu would promise to change his behaviour.
“He was our son-in-law but was abusive for a long time. We all believed he would change until she left him three weeks ago. He then followed and stabbed her and our mother,” said Mr Moyo.
Matemaganu village head Mr Reuben Mathe implored his subjects to report any form of abuse in time before tragedy falls.
Article Source: The Chronicle