A community in Nyanga was left shell-shocked after a 43-year-old man, Edward Chirombe, allegedly killed his wife and three children before hanging himself.
The children were aged eight, 12 and 14.
Chirombe’s body was found hanging from a tree in a garden some 800 metres from the homestead.
The motive behind the killings is not yet known.
Villagers from the Mugomba community discovered the bodies on Friday and alerted police. Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident, saying they are yet to establish when the incident took place.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police is investigating circumstances surrounding a heinous murder case in which Edward Chirombe (43) is suspected of have killed his wife Joyce Mashenu (40), two daughters aged 8 and 14, and son (12) before committing suicide at a homestead in Ngavaseke Mugomba Village, Nyanga, on an unknown date.
“The bodies of the victims were found by the police on January 6, 2023 after police had received information that dead bodies were lying in the hut and flat-roofed bedroom, which were all locked from the outside with padlocks. The police broke the padlocks to gain entry into the hut and bedroom, where the bodies of the victims were found with multiple deep cuts on the head,” Asst Comm Nyathi said in a statement.
The wife’s body, he said, was found lying on the bed in the couple’s bedroom covered in blood, while the bodies of the children were found in the hut.
“Investigations are in progress to ascertain the motive behind the callous murder,” said Asst Comm Nyathi, who urged the public not to resort to violence when resolving domestic disputes. – Sunday Mail
