MUTARE-In the dead of the night, the sound of bickering, name calling and
scuffles woke up residents of the high density suburb of Hobhouse who turned a
deaf ear to the usual fights their neighbours always had every evening.
A seven-year-old girl however, watched in horror as her mother wrestled herself
away from the sharp blade of the axe her father held against the woman.
The young girl traumatically witnessed one of the several fights her parents
would always get into once her father got back home in a drunken stupor.
Sadly, Vimbai Muchingamwa (30) was struck on the head by her husband,
Innocent Mujeni (30) over an undisclosed dispute.
“We heard the couple fighting in the dead of the night and we thought it was
their usual domestic tussle as Mujeni is always known to cause a scene
whenever he gets drunk. However, this particular Sunday morning was different
and odd.
“Mujeni sent his children to their grandmother’s place very early in the morning
and claimed that Muchingamwa had already left for their back to school
shopping. What raised suspicions was the fact that I did not get to see
Muchingamwa leave the house as alleged by her husband,” said their neighbour
only identified as Esther.
Manicaland police spokesperson Inspector Nobert Muzondo confirmed the
incident in which the body of Muchingamwa was later found lying in the house
lifeless wrapped in blankets.
“Vimbai Muchingamwa and Innocent Mujeni got into a misunderstanding
resulting in a physical fight. The noise woke up their daughter, Memory who
was immediately threatened back to bed by her father. The following morning
the girl was sent over to her maternal grandmother’s place where she was to
have breakfast and come back home later.
“Mujeni then approached their neighbour Esther and handed her money for the
bread delivery since the couple ran a tuckshop. Upon inquiry, Esther was
informed that Muchingamwa had left home early. This raised suspicion
following the previous night’s fight,” said Insp Muzondo.

After handing over the money to his neighbour, Mujeni discreetly left the home
and never returned.
Esther went on to share her concerns about the couple with Muchingamwa’s
mother, Jesca Muchingamwa, and requested she check on her daughter.
Jesca later came over to the couple’s house and broke open the door only to find
her daughter’s body covered in blood and wrapped up in blankets.
Insp Muzondo said Muchingamwa had sustained two deep cuts above the right
ear and one deep cut on the right arm. She was also found with a sheet tied
around her neck.
The Hobhouse community could not fathom how Mujeni had callously
murdered his wife in cold blood and pretended all was well the following
morning.
Inspector Muzondo implored the public to value the sanctity of human life and
resolve differences amicably without resorting to violence.
“We urge couples to seek counselling from local police stations, traditional
leaders and church elders to find peaceful ways of resolving differences,” he
said.