The ManicaPost
Liberty Dube and Tendai Gukutikwa
THE family of a Chikanga woman who was murdered in cold blood by her boyfriend early this month following a heated argument over WhatsApp chats with her other boyfriend has revealed that the deceased was on the verge of getting married before her untimely death.
The family further revealed that the suspect, Munyaradzai Chinyama, was not Chipo Vhunga’s live-in boyfriend.
The Vhunga family is still mourning the death of the young woman.
Chipo, who was a security guard, was allegedly murdered in Crowborough in Harare on June 2 before Chinyama, who worked as a supervisor at the same security firm, vanished into thin air.
Ten days later, he surrendered himself to the police.
Chinyama is expected to appear in court today (June 19) in Harare. He is facing murder charges.
Chipo was laid to rest last week in Bikita.
Chipo’s mother’s, Mrs Virginia Vhunga said, “The only boyfriend we knew about was a man who resides in the United Kingdom. Chinyama was not our son-in-law, neither was he her live-in-boyfriend.
The late Chipo Vhunga’s mother, Mrs Virgnia Vhunga still to come to terms with her daughter’s murder
“He stayed in Kuwadzana, while Chipo stayed in Crowborough, Harare. Her UK boyfriend was making plans to come to Zimbabwe for lobola proceedings. Maybe this triggered Chinyama’s wrath.
“Chinyama and my daughter were co-workers so maybe it was a case of office romance.
“It is unfortunate that she died this way. I am so bitter, but there is nothing l can do to bring her back,” said a teary Mrs Vhunga.
The Manica Post learnt that Chinyama was using Chipo’s phone to communicate with her relatives and friends while on the run.
“Days after murdering Chipo, Chinyama called us using Chipo’s phone, defending himself. He said he had killed her because he had seen chats between Chipo and her other boyfriend in the UK. He was not remorseful at all and that really hurt us as a family,” she said, battling to control her emotions.
Mrs Vhunga described her late daughter as a soft spoken person who was determined to settle down and have her own family.
Chipo’s young sister, Yolanda, chipped in: “I was informed of Chipo’s death by Chinyama hours after I had sent her some mobile money. I called her mobile with the intention of confirming if she had received the money, only for him to pick up and tell me that he had killed my sister.
“He said to me, ‘Muri kutotaura henyu zvemari, Chipo afa uyo (You are concerned about money, Chipo is dead). We had to call my other sister and her husband to go and check on her. Within a couple of hours, they confirmed that she was indeed dead.”
Several phone calls were subsequently made to Chipo’s phone and Chinyama kept picking all of them and telling them of her death.
