Online Reporter
THE murder of Nothabo Zandile Tshuma and her two young daughters, Natalie and Nala, at their home in England has cast the spotlight on Zimbabwean women who have died in domestic violence cases in that country.
Zandile was reported to have been going through the formalities of divorcing her husband, Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, at the time of her death.
Ndodana, also known as Mark, is suspected by the British police to be the one responsible for the murder of his family.
H-Metro has found out that, in just the past decade, a number of Zimbabwean women have lost their lives to either their husbands, or girlfriends, in the UK.
The majority of the men have been convicted, and are serving lengthy prison services, including life in jail, while one apparently committed suicide when he walked onto a motorway.
He was hit by three cars.
Two years ago, the Guardian decided to highlight every woman who was killed by a man, in the UK, drawing on the work of campaigns such as Counting Dead Women, the Femicide Census and Killed Women.
The newspaper noted that in recent years in the UK, a woman has been killed by a man every three days on average.
On December 31, the newspaper noted that 80 women had died at the hands of men and published the story of each of these women.
Among those 80 women killed that year were THREE Zimbabweans, a mother-of-three from Botswana and a Namibian woman.
We have looked into the murders of Zimbabwean women, who have died at the hands of their partners in the UK in the past decade, and what we have seen is a very disturbing trend.
Here are some of the victims and what happened to their partners:
MIRRIAM NYAZEMA,
July 28, 2015
Miriam Nyazema, 35, was found outside her home in Shawclough Way, Rochdale in Greater Manchester following reports of a disturbance on 28 July last year.
The nurse died in hospital from seven stab wounds to her head and upper body.
Josphat Mutekedza, 36, was ordered to serve minimum of 26 years after being convicted of murder at Bolton Crown Court.
Mutekedza stabbed his former girlfriend to death after she dumped him and started dating a new lover, Jacob Chingmbe, who lived back home in Zimbabwe.
Mutekedza was a soldier in the British army at the time of the murder.
On the night of her murder, Mirriam was returning home, in the company of her new boyfriend when the prosecution said Mutekedza confronted the duo and stabbed her in the face, head, chest and back.
VERONICA CHINYANGA,
June 9, last year
Veronica Chinyanga begged for her life as her husband Kasikai Chinyanga, 47, stabbed and killed her in Brozburn, West Lithonia, Scotland, on June 9, last year.
The 42-year-old mum had predicted Chinyanga may not forgive her for previously reporting him to police for abusing her.
Veronica was repeatedly struck with a pronged garden tool before being stabbed in the stomach with a knife.
Jailing him for life, Lord Mulholland said the killing had been “cowardly, savage and brutal”.
The couple had moved to Scotland in 2008 from Zimbabwe.
They had a teenage son together. Veronica’s 20-year-old daughter also lived with them.
BARBARA NOMAKHOSI MPALA, September 6, 2024
The body of Barbara Nomakhosi, 35, who worked in the care industry, was discovered by officers at an address in Bury, Greater Manchester, at about 10.30pm on Friday, 6 September, 2024.
They identified Molifi Elvis Mosia, 41, her husband, as a suspect.
He was then killed after walking onto the M65 motorway, where he was hit by three cars, at about 9pm, on the same day.
ZANELE SIBANDA,
28, August 2014
Zanele Sibanda, 28, a care worker, “always had a smile on her face”, recalled her friend who spent time with her hours before her death.
Sibanda was stabbed to death in the early hours of 27 August, 2024.
Tanaka Zivania, 32, of Gloucester, pleaded guilty to her murder and possession of a bladed article in a public space, and was sentenced to life in prison.
Prosecutors established the attack stemmed from unfounded, jealous suspicions of infidelity.
He had a history of controlling and aggressive behaviour.
LEIGH-ANNE MAHACHI,
22, April 12, 2024
Leigh-Anne Mahachi, a 22-year-old bank worker, was stabbed to death on April 12, 2016, outside her home on Spotswood Close in Gleadless Valley, Sheffield, UK.
Her ex-boyfriend, Tapiwa Douglas Furusa, 37, pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 26 years.
The attack took place as Mahachi was leaving for work, with her mother witnessing the fatal stabbing outside their house. Furusa later handed himself in to the police in Manchester
PERSEVERANCE NCUBE,
November 10, 2023
Perseverance Ncube, a 35-year-old mother of two, was murdered by her ex-partner, Obert Moyo, on November 10, 2023, in Little Hulton, Salford, Greater Manchester, UK.
Moyo stabbed her in the chest, and he was subsequently sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 27 years in April 2024.
Moyo stalked Ncube for months after she ended their relationship.
On the night of the murder, he broke into her home and attacked her in her bedroom.
Her two children (aged 10 and 12) initially dragged Moyo off their mother.
Moyo then chased her out onto the street and fatally stabbed her while the children were present.
LINDA NOMAGUGU VILIKA,
August 19, 2019
Linda Nomagugu Vilika, 41, was stabbed to death on August 19, 2019, in her home in Great Saling, Essex, United Kingdom.
Her husband, Wilfred Jacob, was found guilty of her murder in January 2021 and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 18 years.
Prosecutors established that Jacob was a “jealous and controlling” husband who harboured baseless suspicions that she was having an affair.
When officers arrived at the house, they found Vilika slumped against a sofa with her face and body covered with a duvet.
The murder weapon, a 20cm (7.9in) carving knife, which was found at the scene, had a bent blade that had snapped off from the handle.
Vilika had been stabbed twice in the back, the jury was told.
EMILY MUNEMO,
August 19, 2015
Emily Munemo was murdered at a property in Collingwood Road, Hillingdon, and Gibson Mazikana, 41, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 27 years, for the crime.
Munemo was found with stab wounds.
On the day of the attack, Mazikana was due to be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court for assaulting a police officer who had attended the family home following a domestic incident, the Met Police said.
A post-mortem examination found Munemo died from a stab wound to the chest.
Detectives investigating the murder also discovered Mazikana had tried to arrange for Munemo to be killed, but an associate had refused to help him.
