Man jailed for life for killing ex-lover

A 45-year-old man from Nkayi has been sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his former girlfriend in a vicious knife attack after she fled an abusive relationship in South Africa and returned to Zimbabwe seeking safety.

The High Court sitting in Hwange also sentenced the man to an additional five years in prison for attempting to murder a 72-year-old man on the same night. The court ordered the sentences to run consecutively.

The murder victim, Princess Janet Ncube, had reportedly ended her relationship with the convicted man after enduring abuse while the couple was living in South Africa.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Ncube returned to her rural home in Nkayi in December 2025, hoping to rebuild her life away from her former partner.

She settled at her mother's homestead in Mbondweni Village under Chief Tshugulu and secured employment as a cook at Inkisela Lodges.

However, her decision to end the relationship did not deter her former boyfriend, who allegedly continued pursuing her and demanding that they reconcile.

Prosecutors told the court that the man repeatedly threatened to kill Ncube and members of her family if she refused to resume their relationship.

His threats reportedly escalated to the point where he prepared a six-page handwritten note outlining his intentions before travelling to Nkayi.

Once in the area, he began monitoring Ncube's movements and those of her relatives.

The situation turned deadly on January 28, 2026, when Ncube left her workplace at Inkisela Lodges at approximately 8pm in the company of her new boyfriend.

The convicted man confronted the couple and threatened Ncube's boyfriend, who fled the scene fearing for his safety.

With Ncube left alone, the attacker forcibly dragged her towards the nearby ZESA Nkayi offices.

There, he repeatedly stabbed her with a knife, inflicting 13 wounds that resulted in her death at the scene.

The brutality of the attack formed part of the evidence presented before the High Court during the murder proceedings.

However, the violence did not end with Ncube's killing.

Approximately 30 minutes later, the man attacked a 72-year-old man near Junction Down Stores, stabbing him once in the back with the same weapon.

The elderly victim survived the assault and was taken to Nkayi District Hospital, where he received medical treatment.

Police subsequently launched investigations that led to the suspect's arrest.

During the investigation, detectives recovered a blood-stained Okapi knife believed to have been used in both attacks.

Officers also recovered the six-page handwritten note, which prosecutors presented as evidence of the offender's intentions before the murder.

The High Court ultimately convicted the man of murder and attempted murder, imposing a life sentence for Ncube's killing and an additional five-year prison term for the attack on the elderly man.

The case highlights the deadly consequences of domestic violence and the dangers faced by women attempting to leave abusive relationships.

Despite relocating from South Africa to Zimbabwe to escape the abuse, Ncube was pursued by her former partner, whose refusal to accept the end of their relationship culminated in her murder.

The NPA's account of the case underscores the importance of taking threats against former intimate partners seriously, particularly where an individual has demonstrated persistent harassment, stalking or violent behaviour.