News / National
In-laws battle to locate murdered woman's family
07 Sep 2016 at 06:33hrs | Views
A BULILIMA family is stuck with the body of their daughter-in-law who was murdered by their son as the late woman's family cannot be located.
Professor Phuthi (28) of Dombolefu Ward brutally axed his wife Sibongile Mhlanga and a neighbourhood watch committee member, Elizabeth Maphosa, who was five months pregnant, before hanging himself following a domestic dispute on August 27.
Professor's father, Aleck Phuthi, said efforts to locate Mhlanga's family over the past week had been fruitless and her body was still at Plumtree District Hospital mortuary.
"We are still struggling to locate MaMhlanga's family because we don't know her relatives and we have never met them.
"Our son had initially told us that she was from Mbembeswane area in Kezi District but we have failed to find her relatives there. As of now we are not sure of her place of origin because she didn't have a National Identity Card," he said.
He said the burden was now upon him to locate MaMhlanga's family and ensure that she is buried.
"Professor didn't formerly meet his in laws. He just took MaMhlanga into his house and stayed with her. I tried to persuade Professor to follow the correct procedure of doing things but he didn't listen.
"As a family we appeal to the Mhlanga family to contact us so that we can hand over their daughter's body to them," he said. Professor murdered his wife after she had reported him to the police for domestic violence.
His grandfather, Mr Rabson Phuthi, said his grandson was in the habit of physically abusing his wife and efforts by family elders to intervene had been fruitless. Village 26 head, France Maphosa, said before the horrific incident the couple had been to his homestead on several occasions over domestic disputes.
He said Professor recently beat up his wife and tied her to a tree in the bush and left her there.
Source - chronicle
