Man fatally spears wife's lover in front of two-yr-old son

A 34-year-old Fort Rixon man who returned home to find his wife romping with his neighbour's herdboy has been charged with murder after killing his love rival with a spear.

Frank Ncube, 34, of Pioneer Village 3 in Fort Rixon, got off the handle after walking in on the two in his bedroom hut.

He picked up a spear and drove it through Ndabezinhle Sibanda's head, killing him instantly. Love cheat Catherine Dope, 22, fled in terror and hid in a maize field.

Neighbours said Ncube and Dope's two-year-old son witnessed last Wednesday's murder. Frank's aunt, Sibongile Maphosa, 43, was the first to arrive at the scene.

She told Chronicle: "Frank arrived home from Bulawayo where he worked and knocked on the door of his bedroom hut. There was no response and he could only hear voices coming out of the candle-lit room.

"He became suspicious and kicked the door open and found his n*ked wife in bed with Ndabezinhle and their two year-old son."

Livid, Ncube picked up a spear and two knobkerries. He struck Sibanda twice on the forehead with a knobkerrie.

As the victim lay helplessly on the floor, he drove the spear through his head. After the grisly killing, Ncube went to his uncle, Mhlabeni Sibanda's homestead and told him what he had just done.

His uncle explained: "He came rushing to my home and told me that he had killed his neighbour's herdboy after he found him in bed with his wife.

"We then quickly went to the scene and we found the victim lying in a pool of blood. The blood-stained spear and knobkerries were next to the body. It was such a horrific sight. The eyes were plucked out and the spear had pierced through the skull, cracking it open, and brains were spilling."

Sibanda informed neighbours and members of the Neighbourhood Watch Committee. Fort Rixon police, who were called to the scene, said they had no transport and only arrived the following day and arrested Ncube.

The village secretary, Vusa Zinjiba, said: "We immediately held a meeting with villagers over the issue. We had never witnessed such a gruesome murder in our village and everyone is really shocked.

"In fact, the couple had a long-standing domestic feud which emanated from an adulterous affair between Catherine and Ndabezinhle.

"We had on several occasions warned the two following complainants by Ncube but sadly they continued with their illicit affair, which subsequently led to this unfortunate incident."

Ndabezinhle was buried on Sunday at the same village. Ncube appeared in court on Monday facing a murder charge and was remanded in custody to February 24. He indicated he would plead guilty when his trial starts at the High Court.