Man, brother in-law team beat wife’s ‘boyfriend’ to death
Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
A Gweru man and his brother-in-law allegedly teamed up and assaulted his wife’s suspected boyfriend for about five hours, leading to his death.
The duo allegedly broke the victim’s legs and dumped his body in a grassy area in Mkoba 17 in an attempt to conceal the crime.
Darlington Chigagure (26) of Mkoba 17 suburb was charged with the murder of his sister’s alleged boyfriend Walter Mutombwera (36), popularly known as Japan and also from the same suburb.
Police have since launched a manhunt for his two co-accused; Brandy Sifanjani who is Chigagure’s sister’s husband and their friend Precious Moyo.
Chigagure appeared briefly before Gweru magistrate Mr Progress Murandu facing one count of murder.
He was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to May 28 when police are expected to have completed investigations and put together evidence from 12 expected witnesses.
According to papers presented to the court by prosecutor Ms Connie Madzudzu, Chigagure, Sifanjani and Moyo on March 11 allegedly connived to lure Mutombwera to visit their place of residence in Mkoba 17 suburb.
The court heard that Moyo pretended to be Nyaradzo, the wife to Sifanjani who was allegedly having an affair with Mutombwera.
Moyo allegedly made a phone call to Mutombwera lying to him that Nyaradzo who is in South Africa was back in the country and wanted to spend some quality time with him.
Mutombwera allegedly fell into the trap and went to the house around 11PM where Sifanjani and Chigagure were lying in wait.
The court heard that when Mutombwera got into the house, Sifanjani allegedly struck him with a hoe handle but he managed to fight back overpowering the woman’s husband and the fight continued outside the house.
Mutombwera allegedly tried to escape but Chigagure blocked him by the gate where Sifanjani hit him on the head and legs with the hoe handle and he fell.
The duo allegedly pinned Mutombwera while assaulting him with the handle on the head and legs.
Mutombwera allegedly called for help but no one came to his rescue.
The court heard that Chigagure and Sifanjani took electrical cords which they used to tie Mutombwera’s hands from the back and continued assaulting him with the hoe handle and a knife.
Around 3AM after about five hours of assault at the hands of the two brothers in law, the court heard, Mutombwera was groaning in pain as he had sustained serious injuries all over his body.
Realising Mutombwera was seriously injured, Chigagure and Sifanjani allegedly bundled his body into their vehicle and drove for about 500m before dumping him in a grassy area.
Mutombwera who could no longer walk since both his legs were broken allegedly crawled on his stomach from the grassy area and was rescued by a taxi driver.
He allegedly died on his way to the hospital.
His body was taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals where a post-mortem was carried out and it was revealed that the cause of death was due to laceration of humeral artery and wounds on both legs, hypovolemic shock and stab wound.
Mutombwera is survived by a wife and two children.
Comments