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Chronicle Reporter
THE family of the 41-year-old Bulawayo inyanga, who allegedly beat his wife to death accusing her of sleeping with her cousin, yesterday met their in-laws amid tensions and exchange of harsh words.
The inyanga, identified as Mnxwanelwa Hadebe allegedly used an electric cord to beat his wife, Simenyiwe Sibanda (30).
During the stormy meeting at the deceased’s family home in Old Lobengula, the Sibandas resolved to fine their in-laws whom they accused of lacking respect.

It was also revealed during the meeting that Hadebe had not paid lobola.
“Our daughter was killed on Monday and you did not bother to inform us about the incident but rushed to the police and the Press. We are not happy with what you did and we will definitely demand a fine. As you are aware your son had not paid lobola and we want it paid.

“We will tell you what you are supposed to pay when we hold our final meeting tomorrow (today) and we will make you sign affidavits under oath at the police station,” said a Sibanda family spokesperson.

The Sibanda family is also demanding the couple’s two children.
“We also want the children who were left by our late daughter to be brought under our custody pending the finalisation of the burial because they are traumatised from what they witnessed,” said the spokesperson.

The Sibanda family indicated during yesterday’s meeting that it would announce burial arrangements today.
According to the Hadebe family, the suspect does not have valuable assets making it difficult for him to foot the funeral expenses.
“As a family we will have to sit down and have our own meeting tonight (last night) to discuss how we will contribute towards the funeral of our sister-in-law,” said Mr Mthandazo Ngwenya, who is the suspect’s younger brother.

The incident occurred on Monday at about 5pm at the couple’s rented house in Magwegwe North suburb. Hadebe allegedly broke a kitchen unit door and used it to hit his wife all over the body before smashing her head against the wall, killing her while their two daughters aged three and nine watched helplessly.

It is suspected that Hadebe stayed with the body for at least four hours, before making a false report to the police, claiming his wife had collapsed after having fits.

Neighbours said Hadebe had approached one of them at about 5pm on the fateful day seeking assistance to take his wife to hospital.
He had said his wife had collapsed and asked his younger brother to accompany him to the police station to make a report.
When they rushed to Magwegwe Police Station where they made a report, police dismissed the story and arrested him.

According to family sources, Hadebe said he was angry because he suspected that Ms Sibanda was having an affair with her cousin, her paternal uncle’s son.  On being arrested, Hadebe later changed his story, saying he had seen her holding hands intimately with her cousin.
Mr Ngwenya said Hadebe was actually the one who had invited his wife’s cousin to visit them.

Neighbours said Hadebe and his wife had a long standing domestic dispute.