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Thandeka Moyo Court Reporter
A Bulawayo family is suspecting that its son-in-law had a hand in the death of his 23-year-old wife whom he alleges died after jumping off a moving vehicle.
This came out during an inquest at the Bulawayo magistrates court yesterday where David Sibekithemba Madebe, an injiva employed by the Jehovah’s Witness Church in South Africa, told the coroner Gladmore Mushove that his wife jumped off a moving car following a misunderstanding.
The family suspects foul play and contends that Madebe was an abusive husband. However, Madebe told the court that his wife Samantha Madebe committed suicide protesting over his mother’s intended visit to their home in Bulawayo’s Fourwinds suburb.
“It was after work on April 15, last year when we both headed home, Fourwinds and we passed by the filling station since we were aware that we could come back into town and pick up my mother who was coming to visit us. Later after eating we left for town and I could tell my wife was in a bad mood,” said Madebe.
He said while they were on their way, his wife said, “Why was I the last person to know that your mother is coming? I am now tired of this.
“Immediately she opened the passenger door while I was driving along Matopos and Pembroke Road and I noticed that she was jumping out.”
Madebe said his wife dropped down and died.
“I failed to call anyone after I realised what had happened, I was shocked I failed to call the police or an ambulance,” he added. “I am not sure when she actually died but the post mortem said she died on the spot.”
Taking the witness stand, Samantha’s sister Isabel Melisa Chizirika said Madebe had failed to give the family a convincing account of what transpired on the fateful night.
“I had known my sister all her life and I am also aware that she suffered emotional abuse the whole nine months she was married to David. He scared her, was over controlling and thus I suspect foul play.”
Chizirika said she does not understand how her sister’s body was found on the other side of the road when Madebe maintained that Samantha did not roll when she fell and died.
“When we visited the scene the next morning, we found animal-like blood and I feel the Madebe family know what they really did to my sister.
What is more suspicious is that David’s brother-in-law — a medical doctor, Dr Zhou – was too forward in encouraging us to leave everything to mortuary attendants, we had a right to inspect my sister’s body before she was buried,” said Chizirika.
Madebe’s sister, Privilege Zhou, gave conflicting testimony and argued that her brother and Samantha had a happy marriage.
She was the first to get to the scene of the accident.
“I was called by my mother who told me about the accident. I then called my brother and all he could do was to scream and say Samantha. When I got to the scene, I realised that she was dead and I then called Samantha’s family.”
A post mortem report filed shows that Samantha died due to multiple skull fractures and subarachnoid haemorrhage, a condition that occurs when a blood vessel just outside the brain ruptures.
The inquest continues on August 21, when three more witnesses are expected to testify.
Online Reporter