Bulawayo, (New Ziana)-A 34 year old woman from Cowdry Park in Bulawayo has been arrested for allegedly killing her husband and their two children in a suspected domestic dispute. Police confirmed the incident which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday.
Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said the suspect, Happiness Chimbangu, allegedly fatally struck her husband Edwin Chimbangu (35) along with their two children Promise, a boy aged four and seven-month-old Prudence.
Msebele said prior to the tragic event, the suspect had confided in her mother about her struggles, expressing feelings of hopelessness and a desire to end her life due to the severe hardships she was facing at home.
“On January 29, at around 8 AM, the suspect visited her mother and shared her frustrations about her husband’s lack of support, stating that the family was living in dire poverty,” Msebele explained.
The police spokesperson added that later that day, around 3 PM, she returned to her mother’s house looking distressed and told her mother to take care of her children, as she was contemplating suicide.
“Around 10 PM, the suspect’s mother received a call from her son-in-law, urging her to come to their home because Happiness was threatening to take her own life.
“The concerned mother, along with two church members, went to the suspect’s house to provide counselling and prayer. They left around midnight, believing the situation had been resolved,” Msebele said.
However, Msebele said just two hours later, at around 2 AM, the mother received another call from a church member in the neighborhood, informing her that Happiness had confessed to killing her family. The matter was reported to the local police station who attended the scene.
“When police arrived at the scene, they discovered Edwin lying on the bed with severe injuries, including deep cuts to his ear, neck, cheek, and near his eye.
Promise was found on a mattress with a deep cut on his shoulder and multiple injuries to his head, while Prudence was lying next to her father, also with fatal injuries.
“A metal digger, stained with blood, was recovered near the door, and the suspect’s blue dress bore traces of blood,” she said.
The bodies were taken to United Bulawayo Hospital for post-mortem. Msebele urged the public to refrain from taking the law into their own hands and emphasized the importance of seeking help from community leaders, church elders, or traditional leaders in such times.
“It is heart-breaking to see such a young family lost in this manner. We encourage the community to support individuals showing signs of suicidal tendencies to prevent tragedies like this from occurring,” Msebele said.
New Ziana