News / National
Man murders wife, hangs self
16 Jul 2023 at 04:14hrs | Views
A 56-YEAR-OLD Mahatshula man is alleged to have killed his wife in cold blood after which he committed suicide last Tuesday afternoon over a yet-to-be-ascertained marital issue.
The man was identified by the police as Simon Dube while his wife was identified as Cecilia Lunga of Binga.
Acting police spokesperson for Bulawayo Province Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele confirmed the murder and suicide incidents.
"The deceased is Cecilia Lunga from Mahatshula North. On 11 July 2023 at around 1230 hours an informant was looking for firewood in a bushy area in Mahatshula and found the deceased lying on the ground across a path he was using. At around 1300 hours he made a report to the police and the deceased was positively identified by her son-in-law. The body was taken to United Bulawayo Hospital for a post-mortem," she said.
Asst Insp Msebele also confirmed the suicide saying an informant who was looking for firewood heard a mobile phone ringing continuously with no one responding to it. She said the informant went closer to where the phone was ringing and he discovered a body of a male adult hanging from a tree and informed the police who were 100 metres away attending to the scene of the murder.
She said Dube used a piece of wire to hang himself and the son-in-law again positively identified him and informed the police that his in-laws were having marital problems. Asst Insp Msebele urged couples to seek counselling, family intervention, and advice even from the church when they are in dispute than resort to taking their lives or that of others.
When a Sunday News crew visited the Mahatshula home, only one neighbour and a relative were present.
Ms Landiwe Matali, the relative narrated what is believed to have happened.
"We just heard that she (Cecilia) had gone to fetch firewood with her husband, what we do not know was whether it was genuine that they had gone to fetch firewood or he lured her away from people into the bush to kill her. It was in the morning. He killed her and then hanged himself," said Ms Matali.
She said a son-in-law who was at a nearby shopping centre who had got wind of the murder went to investigate only to discover it was his in-laws.
"The woman had blood coming out of her ears and her head was covered with the hood of her jacket. The husband was later found after people heard a phone ringing in the bush. That is all we know for now, we do not even know where to start," she said.
She however, said the couple had marital problems, adding that Cecilia recently approached her after she was chased away by her husband who she said was abusive.
"After that incident she went back to her family in Binga but her husband followed her and brought her back to Bulawayo. They passed by buying groceries a few days ago saying they were back together and had actually sold a cow and used the money to buy the groceries. What I do not know is whether they had sorted out their issues but killing her is a sign that all was not well. She suffered under this man," she added.
The man was identified by the police as Simon Dube while his wife was identified as Cecilia Lunga of Binga.
Acting police spokesperson for Bulawayo Province Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele confirmed the murder and suicide incidents.
"The deceased is Cecilia Lunga from Mahatshula North. On 11 July 2023 at around 1230 hours an informant was looking for firewood in a bushy area in Mahatshula and found the deceased lying on the ground across a path he was using. At around 1300 hours he made a report to the police and the deceased was positively identified by her son-in-law. The body was taken to United Bulawayo Hospital for a post-mortem," she said.
Asst Insp Msebele also confirmed the suicide saying an informant who was looking for firewood heard a mobile phone ringing continuously with no one responding to it. She said the informant went closer to where the phone was ringing and he discovered a body of a male adult hanging from a tree and informed the police who were 100 metres away attending to the scene of the murder.
She said Dube used a piece of wire to hang himself and the son-in-law again positively identified him and informed the police that his in-laws were having marital problems. Asst Insp Msebele urged couples to seek counselling, family intervention, and advice even from the church when they are in dispute than resort to taking their lives or that of others.
When a Sunday News crew visited the Mahatshula home, only one neighbour and a relative were present.
Ms Landiwe Matali, the relative narrated what is believed to have happened.
"We just heard that she (Cecilia) had gone to fetch firewood with her husband, what we do not know was whether it was genuine that they had gone to fetch firewood or he lured her away from people into the bush to kill her. It was in the morning. He killed her and then hanged himself," said Ms Matali.
She said a son-in-law who was at a nearby shopping centre who had got wind of the murder went to investigate only to discover it was his in-laws.
"The woman had blood coming out of her ears and her head was covered with the hood of her jacket. The husband was later found after people heard a phone ringing in the bush. That is all we know for now, we do not even know where to start," she said.
She however, said the couple had marital problems, adding that Cecilia recently approached her after she was chased away by her husband who she said was abusive.
"After that incident she went back to her family in Binga but her husband followed her and brought her back to Bulawayo. They passed by buying groceries a few days ago saying they were back together and had actually sold a cow and used the money to buy the groceries. What I do not know is whether they had sorted out their issues but killing her is a sign that all was not well. She suffered under this man," she added.
Source - The Sunday News
