Murdered woman's family demands 6 cows before burial

THE family of one of the two women who were allegedly crushed with a hammer before they were stabbed more than seven times each with a spear following a domestic misunderstanding, is demanding six head of cattle for lobola before they can bury her.

Amos Nkala (46) of Balanda area, Village 7, Ward 8, Bubi District in Matabeleland North allegedly crushed his wife, Simangele Tshuma (41) and her cousin, Nongazi Nkala (39)'s heads with a hammer on Sunday.

Villagers said the upper parts of the bodies looked flattened.

He stabbed his wife four times in her back, thrice in the chest and once in the head and also stabbed his cousin twice in the back, once on the forehead, four times in the chest and abdomen before he left the spear stuck in her left breast.

Villagers said Amos could have stabbed the women after killing them with the hammer.

Amos cycled off at high speed after the killings and is still at large.

His wife's family has since ignored her body at Inyathi District Hospital since its return from the United Bulawayo Hospitals where it had been taken for post mortem.

Sources close to the families said they are demanding six cows for lobola which was owed and thereafter they would discuss the funeral expenses and compensation for the killing.

Her cousin, Nongazi, was buried yesterday at her matrimonial home within the village.

A relative who spoke on condition of anonymity said the in-laws were insisting on the payment before burial could take place.

"They are gathered in Makokoba suburb in Bulawayo but declared that they would not bury Tshuma until their demands are met," said the source.

Tshuma comes from Lupane District and it had been hoped that they would collect the body for burial at her rural home.

Zanu-PF councillor for Ward 8, Clr Herbert Ngwendu, said villagers had embarked on a manhunt for Amos and had vowed not to rest until he was caught.

"Villagers are working tirelessly to track down the alleged criminal and through the guidance of the Lord, we will catch him. We are however, appealing to the police to assist in tracking him down as they are more experienced. If they could bring down their sniffer dogs, surely they can find him because we have been seeing his tracks," he said.

Sources said Tshuma, who had gone to South Africa for a break, returned last Thursday night, only to be gruesomely killed on Sunday.

Narrating events that led to the killing, Clr Ngwendu said: "On Sunday morning Amos left for work, and when he returned at around 1PM, he found a number of women including Tshuma's daughter from another marriage, Roselyn, who had come from her matrimonial home to visit her mother," said a source.

Amos politely asked the villagers to leave. He went into a hut with his wife and his cousin, leaving Roselyn seated outside.

"Tshuma's daughter says she heard thumping sounds and when she took a peek, she saw Amos hammering her mother. Both women looked dead. One of them had her brains splattered on the floor. Amos dashed outside and Roselyn says he grabbed a spear from another room. She rushed to call neighbours and they found both women lying in pools of blood, already dead."