Children watch in horror as father axes their mother to death

IN an incident that has left Bulawayo’s Nkulumane residents in shock, three children watched in utter horror as their mother was brutally axed to death by their father, leaving the weapon lodged in her head.

The man went on a violent rampage forcing his 15-year-old son to smash windows. He thereafter brutally assaulted him and his two siblings with an iron rod before attacking their mother with an axe.

The chilling domestic tragedy occurred shortly after 1AM yesterday. A Chronicle news crew visited the family house and observed that almost all the windows were smashed, with shards of glass strewn on the ground and curtains stained with blood.

Inside the bedroom where Ms Memory Makathini was allegedly murdered, there was a pool of blood beside the bed while clothes and bed sheets were heavily stained with blood.

According to witnesses, Ackim Bongani Dube (43), who is an elder at a local church, had an argument with his wife over an undisclosed issue before turning violent.

A terrified tenant said he heard Dube yelling at the top of his voice as windows were being smashed.

“It was shortly after 1AM today when we heard noise coming from his room. While we were trying to understand what was happening, we heard footsteps near our door,” said the tenant who declined to be named.

“When I peeped through the window, I saw Dube instructing his son to smash our bedroom window with an iron rod and he obliged.”

Dube also reportedly tried to violently break into the tenant’s room but the tenant said he resisted.

“He smashed my bedroom window and screen door intending to gain entry into my room. I then picked up a knobkerrie and fought him,” said the tenant.

A distress call was made to the police and officers reacted swiftly and arrived at the house within minutes. “Upon arrival, they encountered a combative Dube. They tried to handcuff him but Dube resisted forcing them to manhandle him until they overpowered him,” said the tenant.

After handcuffing him, police officers discovered the lifeless body of Ms Makathini lying face up in the couple’s bedroom.

“The body was in a pool of blood while the axe was still stuck deep inside her skull,” said the tenant.

The traumatised children had already fled the house to seek refuge at a neighbour’s house.

The neighbour, Ms Siphiwe Sibanda, said she was awakened by frantic knocks and the piercing screams of children crying at her front door.

“I heard the door being banged and children crying, saying ‘ubaba wethu ufuna ukusibulala’ (our father wants to kill us). I then quickly opened the door and let them inside,” said Ms Sibanda.
She said the children sustained serious injuries and had to be rushed to hospital.

Ms Sibanda said the eldest son was battling for life while the other two were recovering well.
Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, confirmed the incident.

“We urge members of the public to desist from the use of violence, but rather seek amicable ways of solving their disputes,” said Insp Msebele.