Night with a corpse

12 Feb, 2021 - 00:02 0 Views

The ManicaPost

Tendai Gukutikwa and Liberty Dube
A Zimunya man killed his wife, forced his 14-year-old daughter to carry the corpse in a wheelbarrow, and then spent the night on the same bed with the corpse.

Masimba Blessing Nyazine (37) bludgeoned his wife Janie Benito (49) to death after finding her intimate with another man close to their matrimonial home.

Nyazine was arrested the following day after calling the police to alert them of the heinous crime.

The incident occurred in Bvirindi Village under Acting Chief Zimunya.

The traditional leader was left speechless as the incident happened less than a kilometre from his homestead.

“It was shocking. The community is at a loss of words. After killing his wife, why did he subject his daughter to mental torture by forcing her to carry her mother’s corpse in a wheelbarrow? Matrimonial disputes must be resolved amicably.

“Nyazine and his relatives came to inform me of the gruesome murder. This is an abomination and unacceptable behaviour,” said Acting Chief Zimunya.

Nyazine has since appeared at the Mutare Magistrates’ Court facing murder charges.

He appeared before Ms Prisca Manhibi on Monday and was asked to apply for bail at the High Court. Principal public prosecutor, Mr Tiriwamambo Kangai, said on February 5 Nyazine assaulted Benito with tree branches, open hands and fists all over her body.

He also used a blunt object, which is suspected to be a brick, to strike Benito’s forehead.

Nyazine allegedly went on to uproot Benito’s dreadlocks and stripped her naked.

He left her in a pool of blood and Benito succumbed to the injuries sustained during the assault. A neighbour who spoke to The Weekender, Farai Bvirindi, described Nyazine as a violent person.

He said the couple’s marriage had been on the rocks for a long time.

“Nyazine has always been violent. The couple separated and reconciled on numerous occasions. They were now trying to mend their relationship when this incident occurred.

“On the fateful day, Benito stopped at a bar for a drink on her way home from work. When a drunk Benito decided to go home around 10pm, two male friends escorted her.

“Apparently one of the men was her lover and they became intimate near the Nyazine homestead. When Nyazine heard some noises outside, he went out to investigate and caught the two lovebirds red-handed.

“Nyazine narrated this episode as we were waiting for the police to come and pick him up. We were all startled when he told us that he had spent the whole night on the same bad with Benito’s corpse,” said Bvirindi.

But another neighbour, Mbuya Makomba, dismissed Nyazine’s claims that he found Benito in a compromising position with another man.

“I think he was just mad that she had come home late after finishing work at 3pm. All this talk about him finding her with another man is not true.

“Where is the lover? Not even a name has been mentioned. He murdered his wife due to his abusive behaviour,” she said.

Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luxson Chananda said Nyazine called the Mutare Rural Police Station a day after committing the heinous act.

“What we have gathered so far is that on the fateful day, Nyazine saw Benito being intimate with an unknown person who bolted from the scene upon realising that he had been caught in the act.

“Nyazine dragged Benito to a nearby gum tree plantation and assaulted her all over the body. He then went home and asked his daughter to ferry Benito’s body in a wheelbarrow, before carrying the body into the house and placing it on the bed,” said Inspector Chananda.

“The following day, Nyazine called his mother — Gogo Joice Makwanya — and informed her about the gruesome murder. The family gathered and alerted Acting Chief Zimunya. There were clear signs of struggle at the crime scene. Benito’s forehead was deformed and she had multiple injuries all over the body.”

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