News / National
Hubby, in-laws team up to burn wife to death
02 May 2011 at 07:08hrs | Views
A BUHERA village head together with his three brothers-in-law will spend the next four years in jail for burning his wife to death with hot charcoal over witchcraft and infidelity allegations.
Rungamai Manyika (55) and his Ruzvidzo in-laws ' Lazarus (37), Samuel (27) and Simon (37) ' were initially charged with murder when they appeared before Rusape regional magistrate Mr Hosea Mujaya last week.
The charge was, however, commuted to culpable homicide.
A warrant of arrest has since been issued against Simon who is still at large.
Prosecutor-in-charge, Mr Tirivanhu Mutyasira told the court that Manyika, who is a member of the Johanne Marange Apostolic Sect, teamed up with his in-laws to torture his wife to death.
On December 28 2006 at around 6pm, Manyika arrived with his now deceased wife Letwin at his in-laws' homestead with their four-month-old baby.
Manyika informed his father in-law, Alfinos Taurai Ruzvidzo, that their child was refusing to breastfeed. His brothers-in-law were also present.
Alfinos advised them to go and consult a church prophet in Bocha resulting in Manyika, Lazarus, Samuel and his late wife forming the delegation that went to see the prophet.
At the prophet's homestead, Letwin confessed that she was sleeping with her father Alfinos and that she was a witch. She also claimed that cats were suckling her breasts at night.
The court heard that at that stage, the child was able to breastfeed.
The delegation returned home and convened a family meeting where Letwin was ordered to repeat the confession.
Letwin refused and the child stopped breastfeeding again.
This incensed her brothers and the now fugitive Simon who took turns to assault her with sjamboks. They beat her up heavily but she could not repeat the confession.
At this point, Manyika intervened and told his brothers-in-law that he had an idea that would make his wife talk.
Manyika went outside and took an ox-drawn plough.
He tied his wife's legs to the plough using electric cables. They then took burning charcoal and placed it under Letwin's legs. While her legs were were burning, they urged her to divulge what she had confessed in Bocha, but she refused.
"Later, Manyika untied his wife but as she freed herself from the plough some skin peeled off from her burnt heels. Her health deteriorated and was taken to a clinic where she died.
"A post-mortem carried out on Letwin's body revealed the cause of death as torture," said Mr Mutyasira.
Manyika, who was represented by Mr Maxwell Chiwanza, had pleaded not guilty to the charges, saying his wife was murdered by her brothers. On the other hand, Lazarus and Simon admitted that they assaulted their sister but argued that it was Manyika who caused her death. They were all found guilty of culpable homicide.
In mitigation, Mr Chiwanza submitted that his client had five wives and 17 children who needed his care. The court considered that the case had dragged on for more than five years. Mr Mujaya suspended 18 months of the sentence on condition that they do not commit a similar offence in the next five years.
Rungamai Manyika (55) and his Ruzvidzo in-laws ' Lazarus (37), Samuel (27) and Simon (37) ' were initially charged with murder when they appeared before Rusape regional magistrate Mr Hosea Mujaya last week.
The charge was, however, commuted to culpable homicide.
A warrant of arrest has since been issued against Simon who is still at large.
Prosecutor-in-charge, Mr Tirivanhu Mutyasira told the court that Manyika, who is a member of the Johanne Marange Apostolic Sect, teamed up with his in-laws to torture his wife to death.
On December 28 2006 at around 6pm, Manyika arrived with his now deceased wife Letwin at his in-laws' homestead with their four-month-old baby.
Manyika informed his father in-law, Alfinos Taurai Ruzvidzo, that their child was refusing to breastfeed. His brothers-in-law were also present.
Alfinos advised them to go and consult a church prophet in Bocha resulting in Manyika, Lazarus, Samuel and his late wife forming the delegation that went to see the prophet.
At the prophet's homestead, Letwin confessed that she was sleeping with her father Alfinos and that she was a witch. She also claimed that cats were suckling her breasts at night.
The court heard that at that stage, the child was able to breastfeed.
Letwin refused and the child stopped breastfeeding again.
This incensed her brothers and the now fugitive Simon who took turns to assault her with sjamboks. They beat her up heavily but she could not repeat the confession.
At this point, Manyika intervened and told his brothers-in-law that he had an idea that would make his wife talk.
Manyika went outside and took an ox-drawn plough.
He tied his wife's legs to the plough using electric cables. They then took burning charcoal and placed it under Letwin's legs. While her legs were were burning, they urged her to divulge what she had confessed in Bocha, but she refused.
"Later, Manyika untied his wife but as she freed herself from the plough some skin peeled off from her burnt heels. Her health deteriorated and was taken to a clinic where she died.
"A post-mortem carried out on Letwin's body revealed the cause of death as torture," said Mr Mutyasira.
Manyika, who was represented by Mr Maxwell Chiwanza, had pleaded not guilty to the charges, saying his wife was murdered by her brothers. On the other hand, Lazarus and Simon admitted that they assaulted their sister but argued that it was Manyika who caused her death. They were all found guilty of culpable homicide.
In mitigation, Mr Chiwanza submitted that his client had five wives and 17 children who needed his care. The court considered that the case had dragged on for more than five years. Mr Mujaya suspended 18 months of the sentence on condition that they do not commit a similar offence in the next five years.
Source - Manica Post
