Woman (63) strangled to death by daughter in law over witchcraft

A 63-year old Bulilima woman was allegedly strangled to death by her daughter in-law with the help of her brother following witchcraft accusations.

The pair went on to hammer her with a knobkerrie as she lay unconscious while her 15-year old grand-daughter watched.

Police identified the deceased woman as Thoko Dubeof Sikhathini area.

The strange pair reportedly forced Dube's 15-year-old granddaughter to accompany them on their dreadful mission.

The juvenile (name supplied) who witnessed the killing narrated how her step mother Privilege Ncube, 26, and her brother Jabulani Ndlovu, 23, mercilessly murdered her grandmother while she watched.

"I overheard my stepmother and uncle making a plot to murder my grandmother over the weekend. They called me and told me they would take me with them so that I would witness how witches die," said the juvenile.

"We proceeded to my grandmother's homestead on Saturday night where they talked to her for some time. She was alone with my one-year-old cousin sister."

The juvenile said the pair suddenly pounced on the old woman and started strangling her while covering her face with a piece of cloth.

"She tried to fight back but was powerless. Eventually she fell unconscious on the floor and they ordered me to strike her with a knobkerrie. I refused and uncle Jabulani took the weapon and hit my grandmother on the head."

The juvenile said the pair ordered her to return home and threatened unspecified action if she reported the matter to anyone.

"They left my cousin baby alone crying. On the following morning my step mother and uncle pretended as if they did not know what had transpired after my grandmother's dead body was discovered by a neighbour," said the juvenile.

She said her stepmother had always accused her grandmother of being a witch behind the death of several family members including two of her siblings who died mysteriously.

"She also alleged that my grandmother owned an owl that was terrorising her family at night," the juvenile said.

Dube's son Qhubani Mpala said he was shocked by his wife's behaviour and that the family was devastated by the incident.

"I do not know what was going through my wife's mind when she killed my mother with the help of her brother. I know that she and my mother had differences but I never thought it would get to this," he said.

"Our family is in shock and we are still trying to get into terms with what happened."

Luckson Moyo, a neighbour said villagers discovered Dube's body on Sunday morning and assumed she had succumbed to heart failure.

"We were alerted of Dube's death and we found her lying dead in her kitchen hut. We assumed that she had died of natural causes as she had a heart problem," he said.

"However, when we went to collect her body for burial on Tuesday we noticed that she had a wound on the back of her head.  She also had scars around her neck."

Moyo said the villagers reported the matter to the police who conducted investigations during which Dube's daughter revealed what transpired leading to the pair's arrest.

"The act by Ncube and her brother is a curse to our community. What normal person can kill a person in her own home, in front of a 15-year-old-child? This is cruelty at its fullest," Ncube said.

"We are relieved that the culprits have been arrested because the girl also revealed that the pair had made a plot to kill several other people in the community."

Matabeleland South acting provincial spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Christopher Ngwenya confirmed the incident.

He said the pair was arrested on Wednesday evening in connection with the death and were assisting the police with investigations.