By A Correspondent- A domestic dispute over money left in his custody while his wife was in prison, saw a 62-year-old Beitbridge municipal employee killing the wife with an axe last week in Dulivhadzimu suburb before driving off and later hanging himself from a tree at Lutumba, some 20km away.
Sources close to the case said Rosemary Dube (36) was a renowned foreign currency dealer and airtime vendor at the Beitbridge border post.
Before being sentenced to a three-month jail term over assault, Dube had left R78 000 and US$972 in the custody of her husband, identified as Muleya.
Upon her release on April 20, Muleya could only account for R6 000, telling her the rest had been stolen.
But Dube became suspicious since Muleya had not reported the theft.
Dube reportedly accused her husband of squandering her money while she was behind bars, resulting in a fight and her death.
The police officer commanding Beitbridge district, Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo said the matter was still under investigation.about:blank
“So far, we have established that the couple were at their Dulivhadzimu home when they went to bed on Tuesday (last week) evening, while their 15-year-old son was sleeping in another room,” he said.
“Indications are that during the night, they had a fight resulting in the accused (Muleya) striking the woman to death with an axe.
“After allegedly committing the offence he fled from the scene in their vehicle. The body of Dube was found by their son in the morning when he went to fetch some items from the bedroom and he then alerted neighbours.”
Chief Supt Nyongo said the woman had been struck on the head and the axe was left next to her body.
He said while the police were attending the scene, they received information that Muleya had taken his own life at Lutumba Village.
“The blood stained axe was found next to Dube’s body whose head had a deep cut on the left temple,” he said.
Investigations by the police, Chief Supt Nyongo said, had revealed that Dube was released from prison on April 20, and upon asking Muleya about her R78 000 and US$972, he only managed to account for R6 000.
“She then threatened to report her husband to the police and gave him a week’s deadline to return the money. A fight later ensued resulting in the death of Dube,” said Chief Supt Nyongo.
“A suicide note indicating that Muleya had killed himself after killing Dube was found on the front seat of his vehicle.”
Chief Supt Nyongo said the two bodies had been taken to Beitbridge District Hospital Mortuary and that a post mortem on Dube’s remains was pending.
Post mortem for Muleya was waived by the local magistrate court.
The incident comes a few weeks after another local authority guard, Phillani Mukothamo, killed and burnt the bodies of his wife and her young sister in Vhembe view suburb following a domestic dispute.