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Walter Mswazie, Masvingo correspondent
A LOVE-struck Masvingo woman allegedly drowned her three-year-old son in Mutirikwi River to please her boyfriend.

Joyce Madzimure (25) of Gwatinyanya Village under Chief Mapanzure was allegedly on separation with her husband last year, when she fell in love with Amos Chipare (39) of Mushawasha Village under Chief Shumba.

The two allegedly connived to drown Farai Sigauke after agreeing he was disturbing them from enjoying their affair.

The couple kept the death a secret until they broke up about a month later. Madzimure confessed after reconciling with her husband, who was not named in court.

Masvingo provincial magistrate Mr Langton Ndokera referred the case to the High Court in Masvingo last Thursday. Madzimure and Chipare will on July 13 face murder charges at the High Court.

For the State, Mr Fidelicy Nyamukondiwa said: “On an unknown date but sometime in October 2016 and along Mutirikwi River, Madzimure and Chipare worked in common purpose to throw Farai into the river and left him to die.”

The couple, the court heard, stripped the toddler of his clothes which they threw away in a nearby bush.

“The two, who were cohabiting in Zaka, allegedly agreed to kill the innocent child who they said was disturbing their affair. However, all hell broke loose when the couple’s affair ended on November, 25, 2016 following a dispute over an unknown subject,” Mr Nyamukondiwa said.

The court heard that Madzimure rekindled her love with her husband, who is Farai’s father. Her husband inquired about his son’s whereabouts and Madzimure confessed she had drowned him. The court heard that Madzimure begged for her husband’s forgiveness and asked him to keep the matter a secret.

However, the man would have none of it and reported the matter to the police leading to Madzimure and Chipare’s arrest.

The court heard that when the two were arrested, the boy’s body had long been retrieved from Mutirikwi River.

A fisherman, Mr Nickson Nyangani, dragged it out of the river, thinking he had caught an unusually big fish.

Baby Farai’s body was taken to Masvingo General Hospital mortuary for post-mortem. Doctors, the court further heard, failed to do conduct a conclusive autopsy because the body was in an advanced state of decomposition.

— @walterbmswazie3