Man murders wife as children watch

News
A MAGWEGWE North woman, Simenyiwe Dube (32), was allegedly beaten to death by her husband in front of their two children on Monday night during a domestic dispute.

A MAGWEGWE North woman, Simenyiwe Dube (32), was allegedly beaten to death by her husband in front of their two children on Monday night during a domestic dispute.

RONALD MOYO OWN CORRESPONDENT

An eye-witness to the alleged murder, Nkosinothando Hlabangane, yesterday told Southern Eye that Dube was violently beaten and died on the spot after her husband Nxwanelwa Hadebe banged her head against the wall.

Hlabangane is wife to Hadebe’s stepbrother and stayed with the couple at the Magwegwe North house.

Hlabangane said Hadebe had invited a relative from South Africa she only identified as Sipho.

Hadebe is alleged to have met Sipho outside the Magwegwe North house and then returned an hour later accusing his wife of having had an affair with Sipho after he had left.

“He (Hadebe) came in through the back door, which was unlike him,” Hlabangane said.

“This was at around 4pm and he called NaMazulu (Dube) and asked his daughter Mazulu to give him her mother’s mobile phone.

“NaMazulu (Dube) refused to give Mazulu her mobile phone then he called her into the lounge and accused her of having an affair with Sipho.

“That is when he started beating her with fists and an electric cable in front of me and their children.

“He kept beating her and then bashed her head against the wall and she fell down motionless.”

Hlabangane said when Hadebe realised that his wife was motionless, he poured buckets of water on her from around 5pm until around 9pm.

She said the children were shocked at what they had seen and kept saying: “Ubaba ubulele umama (dad killed mum).”

Hadebe’s step brother Mthandazo Ngwenya told Southern Eye that Hadebe is a traditional healer with a history of domestic disputes with his wife.

“That evening I called Hadebe and he told me that NaMazulu had collapsed,” Ngwenya said.

“I rushed to the house and when I got there I saw that she was visibly beaten up and soaked in water.

“Hadebe at first told me that she had an epileptic fit, but eventually told me he beat her till she died.”

Ngwenya said he reported the matter to the police, leading to Hadebe’s arrest. Police spokesperson Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo confirmed the murder.

“I have no information on the matter yet, but I can confirm that there was a murder in Magwegwe North,” he said.