Man disfigures ex-wife's face

IT hurts the most when the person that made you feel so special yesterday, makes you feel so unwanted today!In a horrific attack, a jealous man turned monster when he allegedly disfigured his estranged wife's face and nearly ripped open her nose after he repeatedly stabbed her with a broken beer bottle over why she dumped him.

Diana Phuthi from Nkulumane suburb who was left with a catalogue of long-term injuries on her face is fighting for life at Mpilo Central Hospital.

According to a close relative, Phuthi was attacked by her ex-husband Bhekimpilo Mlotshwa on Friday night in the presence of their two children aged 13 and nine.

The children, who were reportedly left "very shaken and traumatised" went into hiding after their father, who is reportedly on the run after committing the grisly attack, had also threatened to kill them.

Relating events of the horrific attack to B-Metro, a relative said Phuthi was still in constant pain and was also struggling to open her mouth or pull facial expressions.

"This is one of the worst domestic violence cases I have ever seen. Mlotshwa whom we suspected was now based in Harare was no longer married to Diana following their separation two years ago.

"On Thursday he phoned Diana saying he wanted to see his children. Before he requested to see the children he had sent her a threatening message saying he wanted to kill her but Diana thought it was just an empty threat.

"He then came on Friday at around 11pm drunk. When he entered the house he started harassing Diana asking her why she dumped him before he repeatedly stabbed her with a broken beer bottle in the face," said a relative who chose to remain anonymous.

As a result of the savage attack Phuthi sustained horrific scars in the face and her nose was also ripped open.

There was a lot of blood on the floor and doors suggesting that there was a struggle between the two parties.

Added the relative: "When we went to her house we found her (Phuthi) writhing in pain and lying in a pool of blood.

At the moment the children are no longer going to school after he threatened to kill them. They will only attend when he is arrested.

"When we reported the matter at Nkulumane Police Station, that very night, the officers on duty said they could not assist us since it was a weekend. They promised to come on Monday but until today (Wednesday) they haven't done so."

Phuthi's heartbreaking pictures which are trending on social media have also sparked outrage among Nkulumane residents who condemned Mlotshwa's act as "shameful and barbaric".

Meanwhile, police and experts in the field of psychiatry recently bemoaned the rise in crimes of passion in the country saying most of them were being caused by abusers of drugs, alcohol and other substances.