Mpopoma man (33) chops wife to death with a machete

A Bulawayo man, Goodman Nyoni (33) from Mpopoma suburb went berserk, split the skull of his estranged wife and chopped off her hands before trying to commit suicide by slitting his wrists.

He also allegedly attempted to hang himself.

The spine-chilling incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of yesterday when the couple fought over an undisclosed issue.

The woman, Mrs Miriam Takavingofa Nyoni (34), a mother of two children aged five and six, was brutally killed exactly four days after women in Bulawayo joined the rest of the world in celebrating International Women's Day.

Her husband was rushed to Mpilo Central Hospital after sustaining injuries after failing to commit suicide.

Scores of residents from the suburb, some still in their pyjamas and nightdresses thronged the house to catch a glimpse of the body of the woman.

A tense atmosphere engulfed the home and relatives were failing to come to terms with what had befallen their sister. The body was lying in a pool of blood.

There was blood all over the floor, door and the walls. The chopped hands and one broken leg had been dumped next to the body with the brains splattered on the ground.

A number of residents wept openly with some saying they had never seen such a horrible sight.

Women were whispering softly to each other with some vowing that if marriage was that horrible, they would not allow their daughters to marry.

One of the neighbours, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she heard screams during the night.

"These people were always fighting and it was now normal to hear them argue. I still cannot believe that this man brutally killed his wife. This incident will psychologically affect their children," said the emotional woman.

"What angers me the most is that he chopped her up as if he was slaughtering a chicken. This proves how dangerous men have become."

Another resident said he knew the murder suspect and did not think he was capable of doing such a thing.

"I personally thought such incidents were for movies only, but I now know that people can be evil. This is a disgrace to our community," he said.

A family spokesperson only identified as Mr S Takawira, could not readily comment on the issue, saying the two families had not yet met before referring this reporter to the police.

When reporters caught up with Nyoni at Mpilo Central Hospital under police guard, he seemed calm.

He said: "I am not comfortable to speak to the media, actually I do not want to speak to you guys about this issue."

Bulawayo acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Precious Simango confirmed the incident yesterday and said investigations were under way.

"We are investigating a case of murder which involves a man and his wife who were on separation. The husband had moved out of the house and left the wife staying with their two children.

"Nyoni had earlier on visited the woman and found the gate and doors locked as the whole family had gone to church. He waited for them and when they returned, he later on joined them for supper," said Asst Insp Simango.

After supper, the maid and the two children retired to bed, leaving Nyoni and Mrs Nyoni in the lounge.

"At around 11pm the maid was awakened by screams of the deceased but went back to sleep after Nyoni convinced her that they were just talking and there was nothing to worry about.

"It is believed that the man had already killed his wife by that time. He called his elder brother and told him that there was a problem. The brother then headed to Mpopoma sensing that there could be danger," said Asst Insp Simango.

She said the brother was accompanied by police to the house and was shocked when he saw Mrs Nyoni lying lifelessly in a pool of blood.

"The police broke into the house and found the deceased lying in a pool of blood and the accused was seated on the sofa facing down. The woman had a gash at the back of the head, her upper right arm was cut and multiple injuries on the face. We also recovered a machete that was used to cut the woman," said Asst Insp Simango.

She said the man also tried to commit suicide but failed and was rushed to Mpilo Central Hospital.

Contacted for comment, Musasa, a women's organisation regional manager Ms Lindile Ndebele said it was unacceptable for men to continue killing women in such a manner. "The whole community should know about the Domestic Violence Act because anyone can now make a report for their abused neighbours. It is the responsibility of everyone to eradicate violence in the homes," said Ms Ndebele.

She appealed to members of the community to use suggestion boxes belonging to the police if they suspected any woman was suffering from violence.