Kombi driver kills wife, neighbour

IN a fit of jealous rage, a 38-year-old Kombi driver from Tsholotsho allegedly bludgeoned his wife to death before turning his rage on a 73-year-old neighbour whom he also killed in cold blood.

The driver suspected his wife was having an affair and killed the neighbour for trying to refrain him from committing the barbaric act.

Shepherd Khumalo, popularly known as Madinda, who plied the Tsholotsho Business Centre-Nemane Route, killed Getrude Ncube (36) and their neighbour Mhlanga Bahono Mkhize from Mgogodleni Line, Ward 11 under Chief Gampu in cold blood on New Year's Day.

After the gory act, he took to his heels.

However, unconfirmed reports suggest he was captured by a gang of alert cross-border drivers, popularly known as Omalayitsha while trying to cross into Botswana via the Maitengwe Border Post yesterday.

Matebeleland North provincial police spokesperson Inspector Glory Banda confirmed the murders but said they had not received official confirmation of Nkomo's capture.

According to Insp Banda, on the day of the double murder, Nkomo had a misunderstanding with his wife, whom he accused of having an extra-marital affair before assaulting her with an unknown object.

A terrified Ncube ran to seek protection at Mkhize's homestead.

The elderly man tried to restrain Nkomo from bashing his wife but also became a victim after he was struck with a log in the face and died on the spot, while Ncube died at the homestead a few minutes later.

"The police in Tsholotsho are looking for Shepherd Nkomo, a man aged 38 who killed his wife and a neighbour on January 1, 2024. The man has his homestead at Mgogodleni line, in Tsholotsho.  The accused person suspected that his wife was having an extramarital affair and as a result, a misunderstanding ensued between the two. He grew violent and assaulted his wife using an unknown object. The wife fled to a neighbour's homestead Mhlanga Bahono Mkhize, to seek refuge.

"When the neighbour tried to refrain the accused person, he was struck with a log in the face and he died on the spot. Ncube died a few minutes later," said Insp Banda.

He said Nkomo fled when other neighbours rushed to the scene.

"As police, we implore citizens to value the sanctity of life. Parents and guardians should guide their children while they are still young," said Insp Banda.

According to close sources, Ms Ncube was having an affair with a local business person who is also into the business of selling traditional herbs.

"This affair involves a local businessperson who has caused several marriages to break in the district. Before coming to stay here, he had been chased away in Mgodimasili where another marriage broke down because of him," said the source.

Ward 11 councillor Jonathan Ndlovu said the community was greatly disturbed by the gruesome murders whose trauma will haunt villagers for a long time.

"This is something terrible, happening at a time of merrymaking like this. Our people must always seek recourse or advice from other community members or even leaders whenever they have seemingly irreconcilable differences instead of taking the law into their own hands," said Cllr Ndlovu.

Recently, a Bulawayo businessperson killed his mistress by strangling her over infidelity and money issues.

During commemorations of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), which ran from November 25 to December 10, police statistics showed that a total of 46 people lost their lives as a result of domestic violence, 31 of whom were women.

Some of the cited causes for domestic violence include social media, family setups, financial matters and infidelity.