Couple in bizarre deaths

IN a bizarre incident which has sent tongues wagging in Guruve, a couple died mysteriously on the same day under similar circumstances, although in different places.

The two were 10km apart but shockingly, they started frothing and bleeding profusely from the mouth, nose and ears at the same time.

The mystery deepened when they both died in less than an hour, leaving the community shell-shocked.

A Guruve district senior police officer, Chief Inspector Phillip Checho confirmed the deaths.

What started as a normal day for tuckshop owner Philip Mubatapasango (29) and his wife Previous Sigodho (38) of Chabvuta village ended tragically.

Before the tragic incident, Previous did her daily household chores while Philip served his customers at the tuckshop.

They had plans to travel to Guruve business centre about 10km away from their village for some errands.

A family friend, Ms Sosanna Mugwada, pleaded with the couple for a ride in Philip's scotchcart.

Her 15-year-old grandson had fallen sick and needed to be taken to Guruve Hospital.

Before they could leave, Philip's brother, Mr Gift Madyirapanze and his son arrived at the homestead. The five then had rice and tea which had been prepared by Previous.

"After the meal, Previous decided she would not join her husband for the trip to Guruve since the scotch cart would not accommodate the four of us and the business stock.

"He (Philip) dropped us at a local mission hospital which is a few kilometres from Guruve Centre while he went on to do his errands and came back to fetch us after four hours. When we got to Guruve Centre, he inquired what my grandson had eaten.

"I told him he had had nothing since he was vomiting. Philip, however, went into a grocery store to buy a loaf of bread and offered the boy," she narrated.

Ms Sossana remembered Philip's last murmured words: "Sahwira handei".

"He tried to jump into the scotch cart but his legs were shaky and weak.

"I asked him if he was feeling well but he failed to respond as he tried to get into the cart. He finally got in and sat on the edge, facing the opposite direction so that I could not see his face."

What Ms Sossana did not realise was that Philip was dying and the animal drawn cart was on auto pilot.

"After an hour's distance, around 3.30 pm, I noticed a school girl from our village standing in the way of the cart.

"I could tell by the look on her face that something was terribly wrong; she then asked me why Philip was not blinking.

"I then turned him around and his eyeballs seemed like they were going to pop out and his mouth was wide open.

"I laid him down in the cart and he started grunting and frothing. After some time, blood started oozing out of his mouth, nose and ears. I got confused and did not know what to do.

"I quickly summoned the girl to lead the cattle back home to Philip's wife," said a teary Ms Sossana.

Unbeknown to her, Previous was also going through the same fate.

Neighbours found Previous bleeding and frothing after being alerted by a passerby who had heard strange noises from the couple's house.

"We found her face down around 3pm, frothing. After some time she started bleeding from the nose, mouth and ears.

"That was when we decided to send someone for her husband," said Jenny Nzinzira, a neighbour.

While a village boy was on his way to look for Philip, he met a wailing Ms Sossana who suddenly broke the news that her neighbour had died.

When the boy returned to the couple's homestead to inform the neighbours of Philip's death, he found Previous dead.

Most villagers are suspecting that the two died as a result of witchcraft.

"We have ruled out food poisoning because of the way they died. I have never heard of poison that kills in such a manner. They never complained of any illness prior to their deaths.

"I think someone was getting jealousy of their small business and decided to bewitch them," said Mr Isaiah Madyirapanze, Philip's brother.

However, others believe that the deaths were caused by a family secret linked to juju.

"I do not think they were bewitched. Since they were business people, maybe they used juju to boost their business and it backfired," said a villager who preferred anonymity.

An official at Guruve District Hospital confirmed the deaths but ruled out food poisoning.

"Usually, food poisoning victims vomit and suffer from severe stomach pains and depending on the poison, they might vomit soon after or a little later but the symptoms are always the same," he said.

The couple's bodies are still at Guruve Hospital mortuary waiting to be transferred to a Harare hospital for a forensic post-mortem.

They married in 2004 and had no children.