A dispute between a daughter and mother over which television channel to watch turned fatal when the latter went on to axe her husband for allegedly failing to reprimand their daughter during the misunderstanding.

The incident happened on Friday night at Bulawayo’s Emganwini suburb when Ordetta Mpofu (44) allegedly axed her husband, Mr
Thembani Mpofu (52), an employee of the Bulawayo City Council three times on the head for failing to support her during the fight over the remote control with their daughter.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the incident and said investigations were in progress.

“Police in Bulawayo are investigating a case of murder which occurred on 10 April in Emganwini. On the day at around 7.45pm, the now deceased (father) was watching television with his wife and their two children.

One of the children changed the channel they were watching and that did not go down well with her mother who asked her to return to the previous channel,” said Insp Ncube.

Insp Ncube said a misunderstanding arose between the mother and the daughter while the father was watching and did not interfere.

“A misunderstanding arose between the daughter and her mother.

The mother became angry and the father didn’t intervene and indicated that he was not involved in their misunderstanding and retired to bed.

At around 9.30pm, the mother armed herself with an axe, got into their bedroom and axed her husband three times on the head while he was asleep leading to his death,” said Insp Ncube.

The provincial police spokesperson said the mother confessed to her daughter that she had killed her father for failing to reprimand her during the misunderstanding.

“She got out of the bedroom and told her daughter that she had killed her father.

The daughter got into the bedroom and discovered that her father was bleeding profusely, she then screamed and informed her brother,” said Insp Ncube.

A report was made to the police who attended to the scene and found the man already dead. The accused was arrested and is assisting police with investigations.

Insp Ncube urged members of the public to unite as families.

“As police we urge members of the public to be patient with each other in their respective families. It was needless really to lose such a precious life over a channel of a television.

Let’s all exercise self-restraint,” said Insp Ncube.-Sunday News