Man (28) 'bashes' wife (24) to death over schoolboy

A 28-year-old Nyazura man is alleged to have fatally assaulted his 24-year-old wife after accusing her of having an affair with a school boy from the area.

Police confirmed the death of Millicent Jarai (24), saying she committed suicide by drinking poison but interviewed relatives alleged she was beaten to death by her husband Tawanda Tanyanyiwa (28), who then put poison in her mouth to fake the suicide.

The incident happened in Kuwanda Village under Chief Makoni.

The Weekender reports that there was drama at Jarai's burial last weekend, relatives and villagers chased and stoned Tanyanyiwa, accusing him of murdering his wife.

Tanyanyiwa took to his heels as the angry mob attacked him with all sorts of weapons. He disappeared into a bush.

The relatives and most villagers snubbed the burial and bayed for Tanyanyiwa's blood.

Riot police had to be summoned to quell the volatile situation as the villagers demanded to bury Tanyanyiwa alive together with his wife.

They claimed that he fatally assaulted his wife and later gave her poison in a bid to cover his tracks.

The incensed villagers turned wild after Tanyanyiwa refused to produce his wife's post-mortem results, which they claimed proved that she had suffered severe injuries from the assault.

Relatives who were able to view her body said she was still bleeding from the nose and ears and had deep cuts on the back of her head and on the stomach, symptoms they said were consistent with severe battering and not poisoning.

A man only identified as Camos, who is also a teacher at a nearby school, alleged that he saw Tanyanyiwa assaulting his wife with an unknown weapon while drunk.

Other neighbours who also witnessed the assault advised Millicent to make a police report.

She was subsequently escorted to make the report by a Form Four male student only identified as Master.

"When she returned home, her husband accused her of having an affair with the student," claimed one villager.

In the ensuing misunderstanding, Tanyanyiwa took a garden rake and assaulted her. She tried to run away but he chased her and assaulted her further.

A close relative who chose not to be named said after Tanyanyiwa realised that he had severely injured his wife, he took her into their bedroom, changed her clothes and later administered poison on her.

Tanyanyiwa then allegedly called on his neighbours to witness the "suicide".