Soldier stabs pregnant cop wife

A 36-year-old soldier reportedly stabbed his pregnant wife, who is a police officer, more than five times, leaving her seriously wounded before breaking both her hands after she had asked for a divorce. Muyengwa Maponga, who is based at Parachute Regiment at Inkomo Barracks, is said to have stabbed his wife with a bayonet in the ear damaging her eardrum and nerves, which affected her eyes. A bayonet is a knife attached to the end of the barrel of a rifle. Maponga also stabbed his wife on the back, on the breast and shoulder.

He further stabbed her several times on her hands, before kicking and stamping on them, breaking both her hands. Maponga, who is facing attempted murder charges, was denied bail by magistrate Ms Josephine Sande when he recently appeared in court. He was advised to approach the High Court for bail issues. Prosecuting, Ms Linda Gadzikwa alleged that on August 27, at around 3pm, the complaint went to the shops in the company of her mother and sister.

They were called back home by her husband and since the couple was having some domestic issues, Maponga told his wife that he wanted to discuss something with her. According to the woman, Maponga once assaulted her and her brother and to avoid violence, she took two police officers from a nearby police post and went with them to her house. She wanted to discuss with Maponga in the presence of the police.

After their meeting in which she told Maponga that she wanted a divorce, the complainant drove back the police officers to the station and decided to sleep at a relative's house. At around 4am the following morning, Maponga proceeded to where his wife had slept and broke the door to gain entry into the house. He allegedly ordered his wife to return to their house and she complied. When they got to the house, they went into their bedroom and Maponga suddenly became violent and strangled his wife, it is alleged.

It is the State's case that Maponga told his wife that he wanted to kill her and would also commit suicide. She managed to push him away and screamed for help. While she was crawling to the door, Maponga, the State alleged, drew a bayonet from his jacket and stabbed his wife on the ear, damaging her eardrum and nerves, which affected her eyes.

The complainant's sister managed to open the door from outside and saw her sister lying on the ground bleeding profusely. She tried to restrain Maponga from further stabbing her sister, but he turned to her and threatened to kill her as well before chasing her away. Maponga further stabbed his wife several times all over her body before breaking both her hands. The complainant then collapsed and Maponga disappeared from the scene thinking that she was dead.

Maponga went into hiding and was arrested a month later in town after he had made an appointment with the complainant's sister who he was alleged to be dating. Meanwhile, in a related matter, a 45-year-old Harare man Tafanana Dangarembizi, allegedly struck his wife twice in the head with a machete. Dangarembizi attempted to kill his wife for talking to their male neighbour. He is now facing attempted murder charges.