News / National
New-born baby butchered to conceal affair with uncle's wife
11 Sep 2011 at 06:45hrs | Views
A MWENEZI man impregnated his uncle's wife before conniving with her to callously murder the baby and bury it in a shallow grave to conceal their relationship.
Philip Tsumere (32) of Number 202 National Railways of Zimbabwe flats, Rutenga in Mwenezi, stabbed the baby several times to the point of almost slitting the throat with a knife in the presence of and with the consent of the baby's mother, Matsivei Moyo (40) of Village 4 Gwamarara, Chief Neshuro in Mwenezi.
Matsivei is wife to Tsumere's uncle.
Tsumere took advantage of the absence of his uncle, who is working in South Africa, to have an affair with his wife, resulting in the pregnancy and the subsequent birth of the now deceased baby girl.
The two appeared before Masvingo magistrate, Mr Oliver Mudzongachiso, sitting on circuit at the Mwenezi District Magistrate's Court facing charges of contravening Section 47 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23, Murder.
They were remanded in custody to September 20 2011.
The State case as presented by the prosecutor, Mr Wellington Mutsvadziwa, was that on dates unknown to the prosecutor, the two, who are related, fell in love.
As a result of the adulterous affair, Matsivei fell pregnant without the knowledge of her husband who works in South Africa and who happens to be Tsumere's uncle.
It was the State case that on August 24 2011 Matsivei gave birth to a baby girl at a clinic in the district.
After giving birth she went to Rutenga to meet Tsumere so that they could discuss the way forward concerning the name of the child and how they were going to get the child a birth certificate, among other issues.
While at Tsumere's place in Rutenga, the two failed to agree on the way forward with Tsumere refusing paternity, accusing Matsivei of not using the various family-planning methods.
An argument ensued, resulting in Tsumere suggesting that they immediately terminate the life of the baby as a way of concealing their adulterous affair.
The two agreed and went to a nearby bush in Rutenga where Tsumere is said to have stabbed the baby several times on the throat with a knife, killing it instantly before they dug and buried its body in a shallow grave.
It was Mr Mutsvadziwa's further submission as outlined in the State case that the matter came to light after neighbours inquired from Matsivei as of what had happened to her pregnancy and she failed to give a satisfactory explanation and feigned a miscarriage.
A report of suspected foul play was made to the police leading to her arrest.
She implicated Tsumere as the one who stabbed the baby to death and led the police to the shallow grave where they had buried it.
Police ordered the exhumation of the body which had several stab wounds on the throat.
Philip Tsumere (32) of Number 202 National Railways of Zimbabwe flats, Rutenga in Mwenezi, stabbed the baby several times to the point of almost slitting the throat with a knife in the presence of and with the consent of the baby's mother, Matsivei Moyo (40) of Village 4 Gwamarara, Chief Neshuro in Mwenezi.
Matsivei is wife to Tsumere's uncle.
Tsumere took advantage of the absence of his uncle, who is working in South Africa, to have an affair with his wife, resulting in the pregnancy and the subsequent birth of the now deceased baby girl.
The two appeared before Masvingo magistrate, Mr Oliver Mudzongachiso, sitting on circuit at the Mwenezi District Magistrate's Court facing charges of contravening Section 47 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23, Murder.
They were remanded in custody to September 20 2011.
The State case as presented by the prosecutor, Mr Wellington Mutsvadziwa, was that on dates unknown to the prosecutor, the two, who are related, fell in love.
As a result of the adulterous affair, Matsivei fell pregnant without the knowledge of her husband who works in South Africa and who happens to be Tsumere's uncle.
It was the State case that on August 24 2011 Matsivei gave birth to a baby girl at a clinic in the district.
After giving birth she went to Rutenga to meet Tsumere so that they could discuss the way forward concerning the name of the child and how they were going to get the child a birth certificate, among other issues.
While at Tsumere's place in Rutenga, the two failed to agree on the way forward with Tsumere refusing paternity, accusing Matsivei of not using the various family-planning methods.
An argument ensued, resulting in Tsumere suggesting that they immediately terminate the life of the baby as a way of concealing their adulterous affair.
The two agreed and went to a nearby bush in Rutenga where Tsumere is said to have stabbed the baby several times on the throat with a knife, killing it instantly before they dug and buried its body in a shallow grave.
It was Mr Mutsvadziwa's further submission as outlined in the State case that the matter came to light after neighbours inquired from Matsivei as of what had happened to her pregnancy and she failed to give a satisfactory explanation and feigned a miscarriage.
A report of suspected foul play was made to the police leading to her arrest.
She implicated Tsumere as the one who stabbed the baby to death and led the police to the shallow grave where they had buried it.
Police ordered the exhumation of the body which had several stab wounds on the throat.
Source - zimpapers
