13 in-laws hunt, kill man in beans dispute

A 31-year marriage has ended in tragedy after a Zhombe man was allegedly beaten to death by 13 of his in-laws following a domestic dispute over beans.

Mpendulo Nyoni, 55, died on May 20, 2026, after he was allegedly attacked by relatives of his wife, Sichelesile Dube, 52, whom he had reportedly assaulted during a dispute over the sale of beans from their harvest.

Nyoni's family claims the attack was a revenge mission organised by Dube's brothers after she fled to her relatives following the assault.

The family has since demanded 32 head of cattle as compensation, with 15 cattle reportedly having already been paid.

According to Nyoni's sister, Nokuthula, her brother became so fearful for his life that he began hiding in the bush and only returned home after midnight.

"He sent me a message saying he feared for his life and had started living in the bush, surviving on raw sweet potatoes. He said if his in-laws killed him, we should not bury him but we should burn his body," she said.

The family alleges that Nyoni was eventually tracked down by the group on the night of May 20.

Nokuthula said he was subjected to a brutal assault at two different locations.

"They beat him up thoroughly. They broke both his arms and legs and stabbed him several times. They assaulted him at two locations and did rituals at each spot," she alleged.

She further claimed that the attackers slaughtered livestock and performed rituals at the two sites before leaving Nyoni severely injured.

Nokuthula also alleged that the group looted livestock and other property from the family homestead and took Nyoni's cellphone, which she believes may have been intended to conceal evidence.

Nyoni was buried on May 26, six days after his death.

His family is now demanding that all those allegedly involved in the killing be brought to justice.

"We want everyone involved in my brother's death to be arrested and prosecuted according to Zimbabwean law," Nokuthula said.

She questioned the circumstances surrounding the alleged attack, particularly given that Nyoni and Dube had been married for 31 years and had four children together.

"The killing was so gruesome, we wonder what was going through our daughter-in-law's mind as she watched her brothers beating up her husband of 31 years," she said.

The couple's children include a 31-year-old eldest child, while their youngest is reportedly sitting for Form Four examinations this year.

National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed that the matter was before the courts and said proceedings were expected at the Kwekwe Magistrates' Court.

He identified six suspects as Dube, Nkululeko Dube, 27, Julia Dube, 26, Terence Dube, 25, Mbongeni Dube, 27, and Disay Dube, 24.

Only Sichelesile Dube and Terence Dube had been arrested at the time of reporting. Dube was reportedly out on bail, while the other named suspects remained at large.

"Mpendulo Nyoni had assaulted his wife due to a dispute at home. The wife went and told the family who attacked Mpendulo at Majoli Village under Chief Mlisa on the 20th of May," Commissioner Nyathi said.

He said police were continuing to gather evidence for presentation before the court.

"The other suspects the police named are on the run and the police are appealing to members of the public who know their whereabouts to come forward," he said.

"All evidence is still being gathered to present before the courts. The matter is under investigation."

The allegations have raised serious concerns about the escalation of domestic disputes into retaliatory violence and the use of family members to settle private conflicts outside the law.