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Esinathy Sibanda, Chronicle Reporter

POLICE have arrested a Bulawayo City Council security guard who allegedly killed his girlfriend in Mpopoma suburb over a text message on Saturday night.

Absolom Ndlovu, who is married, is suspected to have strangled Ms Vonai Mhoya (29) and ran away.

Bulawayo acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said Ndlovu was at Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo under police guard.

“We have arrested a suspect in connection with the murder of a 29-year-old woman in Mpopoma on Saturday. We got information that the suspect was in Ntabazinduna and was very sick. The wife had summoned an ambulance to ferry him from Ntabazinduna to Mater Dei Hospital. The police went to Mater Dei Hospital and arrested him,” she said.

According to sources, Ndlovu attempted to commit suicide by drinking poison.

Asst Insp Msebele said investigations are underway.

Ms Mhoya’s body has since been taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals for a postmortem.

Ms Vonai’s brother Mr Vakai Mhoya said the family was in the dark as to what led to their daughter’s death.

  “The whole family is still in shock and doesn’t really know what happened. The body is now at the hospital for the postmortem and we hope we will get the answers on what really happened to my sister,” he said.

Mr Mhoya said family elders were yet to finalise burial arrangements.

Ms Mhoya was found dead at her house in Mpopoma suburb by her mother and sister who decided to check on her after her phone rang unanswered.

 She was last seen on Saturday evening with her boyfriend when the two are said to have sought intervention of Ms Mhoya’s mother who offered counselling to the couple after they fought over the text message. 

Sources said the couple appeared to have resolved their differences and they returned to Ms Mhoya’s house.

They said the following morning Ms Mhoya’s mother phoned her and when her phone was not being answered, the mother together with her other daughter decided to check on the deceased.

They found the door locked, windows closed and when they checked for the keys, they found them under the doormat. They opened the door and discovered the lifeless body of Ms Mhoya.

Ndlovu is suspected to have killed Ms Mhoya during the night and left a note.

The note read: “Nanso isiphetho sesiwule lonaLinda uyalandela. Lisale kuhle mawule afuze unina yimi elimzondayo elifuna imali yakhe. (This is the end result of prostitution and Linda’s mother is next. Farewell you prostitutes who are like your mother. I’m the one you hate, whose money you are after). ”

Mr Mhoya said Linda’s mother is his other sister but does not know how she is linked to the matter.

Meanwhile, police have arrested a man from Nyamandlovu who allegedly fatally attacked renowned farmer, Cde Sweet  Steward (56), for allegedly intruding into his homestead in the middle of the night. 

Martin Chipande (44) allegedly stabbed Cde Steward with a screwdriver at his homestead which is about four kilometres away from Cde Steward’s farm in Nyamandlovu in Matabeleland North.

Popularly known as Sweet Sweet, Cde Steward was found dead in his car with CZ pistol in his right hand. He had a gunshot wound on his head making it appear as if he had committed suicide.

Passersby discovered the Zanu-PF member in his car on the road the following morning before alerting his employees, neighbours and the police.

Chipande through his lawyers Sengweni Legal Practice filed an application for bail pending trial at the Bulawayo High Court citing the State as a respondent.

Chipande of Umguzana village in Nyamandlovu area of Umguza district is facing a murder charge.

In his bail statement, Chipande who is denying the charge, said if admitted to bail he would not abscond, arguing that he has a valid defence against the charge levelled against him.

“The applicant has no criminal charge pending against him. If admitted to bail, he will not abscond because of a valid defence and it is in his best interest to prove his innocence,” argued Chipande’s lawyers.

In papers before the court, on March 27 this year, Cde Steward who was armed with a CZ Pistol, went to the accused’s home at around 11PM where he allegedly intended to sneak into Chipande’s step daughter’s bedroom. 

He tried to open the door and the accused person woke up and confronted the late Cde Steward during which an altercation ensued between the two men. Chipande disarmed Cde Steward before he went to his room and returned carrying a screwdriver which he used to stab the deceased several times on the head. Cde Steward fled from the scene with the accused in hot pursuit.

Chipande alerted his neighbours and they followed Cde Steward and found him lying dead, a few metres from the homestead clutching his gun in his right hand. He had a gunshot wound and other injuries on his head.

—@esinathy_essira