Admire Chatindo
A 50-year-old Gutu man has been sentenced to six years in prison by Masvingo magistrate Bishard Chineka after being found guilty of attempted murder.
He assaulted his late brother’s wife after she allegedly rejected his marriage proposal to inherit her, following tradition (Kugara nhaka).
According to the state case presented by prosecutor Innocent Mudzingwa, on January 25, 2021, Edson Manyuchi, who had allegedly earlier proposed love to Edinah Tinago, his late brother’s widow, approached Bevi Chimene, the mother of Ednah Tinago, informing her that Tinago was having extramarital affairs at his late brother’s homestead.
Chimene then informed her daughter about Edson’s complaints regarding her extramarital affairs and urged her to refrain from such behaviour.
On the same day around 9:30 a.m., Tinago confronted Edson in his dining room, asking him to stop gossiping and tarnishing her name with rumours of extramarital affairs. Edson, appearing from behind Tinago, grabbed her by the neck with both hands, dragging her and striking her several times with a knobkerrie on her head.
Tinago screamed, attracting the attention of Edith Manyuchi and Marshal Mashava, who arrived at the scene to find Edson standing near the unconscious Tinago. Edson was armed with a knobkerrie and an axe, shouting and threatening to kill Tinago.
Mashava, who is the son-in-law of Manyuchi, managed to disarm his father-in-law by forcibly taking the axe and knobkerrie from him.
Unconscious, Tinago was transported to Cheshuro Clinic and later referred to Masvingo General Hospital, where a medical report was compiled.
Giving testimony in court, Tinago alleged that Edison had once proposed to inherit her as per tradition, which she turned down, the reason was why he attacked her so viciously after failed attempts to soil her name accusing her of extramarital affairs.
