Man bashes lover with log for turning down marriage proposal

A MAN from Bulilima hit his ex-girlfriend with a log on the head until she lost consciousness and then hanged himself after the woman turned down his marriage proposal and dumped him.

Chief Madlambuzi said Pious Sibanda (31) of Ngotsha Village in Madlambuzi Ward attacked Ms Immaculate Ncube (26) on Friday morning.

He said his body was later found hanging from a tree on the same day in the afternoon.

Ms Ncube, who is admitted to Plumtree District Hospital, said Sibanda became furious after she told him to formally introduce himself to her family if he wanted to marry her.

"Pious told me early this month that he wanted to marry me and I told him to approach my family in Lupane. He refused to follow the correct procedure and insisted that I had to move into his home and stay with him and his family without my family's knowledge.

"I turned down his marriage proposal and asked to be given time to think about the matter. This pissed him off and ever since that day he became violent and abusive as he was constantly beating me up," said Ms Ncube.

She said she became tired of her ex-boyfriend's violent tendencies and dumped him. Ms Ncube said she agreed with Sibanda that they would be on separation until they were able to resolve their problems.

She said the separation did not go down well with Sibanda who attacked her while she was at her work place in Madlambuzi Ward.

Ms Ncube said Sibanda was also constantly accusing her of sleeping with her employer who works in South Africa.

"A week before he attacked me, Pious forced me to move into his home and threatened to kill me and commit suicide if I didn't comply. I complied out of fear but I later moved back to my work place.

"On Friday morning, Pious came to my work place while I was with my two-year-old daughter and ordered me to go with him to his home and I refused as I was sensing danger," said Ms Ncube.

She said Sibanda pulled her towards the gate and started strangling her with his hands. Ms Ncube said Sibanda armed himself with a huge log and struck her several times on the head until she lost consciousness.

Ms Ncube said when she regained consciousness, Sibanda had fled from the homestead.

"I was bleeding profusely and I could hardly see but I made my way to a neighbour's house and they rushed me to Madlambuzi Clinic where I was referred to Plumtree District Hospital. When I got to the hospital, I could not speak or walk and I was in great pain. I later received news that Pious had hanged himself," she said.

The councillor for Madlambuzi Ward, Mrs Jabeth Mlalazi, said Sibanda was found hanging by a wire from a tree by a villager who was herding his cattle.

She said Sibanda was buried at his parents' homestead on Sunday morning.

Mrs Mlalazi said Sibanda's friends revealed that he had complained that Ms Ncube had dumped him for another man. She said the friends heard him say he was going to kill the woman for her actions but they did not take him seriously.