Sangoma in court for murder

THE inyanga from Bulawayo's Magwegwe North suburb who allegedly beat his wife to death accusing her of having an affair with her cousin brother has appeared in court.

He is being charged with murder. Mnxwanelwa Hadebe (41) was not asked to plead to the offence when he appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Mr Willard Maphios Moyo.

He was remanded in custody to 5 November.

The court advised him to apply to the High Court for bail.

For the State, Mr Kingstone Mukanganwi told the court that on Monday at about 5pm last week, Hadebe and Simenyiwe Sibanda (30), now late, were at their rented house when the incident occurred.

Hadebe allegedly used an electric cord to beat her, then broke a kitchen unit door and used it to hit her all over the body before allegedly smashing her head against the wall.

It is alleged that Hadebe stayed with the body for about four hours before making a false report to the police, claiming his wife had collapsed after fits attack.

He was arrested when he was accompanied by his younger brother, Mr Mthandazo Ngwenya to make a report at Magwegwe Police Station and the detectives did not believe his story.

Sibanda was buried on Sunday at her rural home in Tsholotsho under Chief Tategulu.