Online Reporter
B-Metro Reporter
A BULAWAYO man who killed his wife during a drunken fight and went into hiding for more than two years has been sentenced to eight years in prison.
Godfrey Ndlovu (38) appeared before Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Naison Chivayo, where he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of culpable homicide after the 2021 death of his wife, Chelesani Ndlovu (23).
The booze-fuelled brawl ended in tragedy when Ndlovu shoved his wife, causing her to smash her head against a wall. She collapsed and never woke up.
“I didn’t realise she had died. I thought she was just passed out,” Ndlovu told the court through his lawyer Takunda Chapisa.
Justice Chivayo accepted the plea and ruled that while Ndlovu’s actions were reckless and led to a young woman’s death, there wasn’t enough evidence to prove he intended to kill.
He was sentenced to eight years behind bars, but three years were suspended on condition of good behaviour, leaving him with an effective five-year stretch.
The court heard that on the night of 15 September 2021, the couple, who lived at Sidojiwe Flats in Belmont West, were both drinking when things turned nasty. A violent argument broke out and Ndlovu allegedly bashed Chelesani several times on the head and face with an unknown object.
Neighbours found her unconscious in a pool of blood in the corridor outside their flat. Her face was swollen and blood was oozing from her mouth.
Neighbour Holder Ncube raised the alarm after discovering the horrific scene.
Ndlovu allegedly told people at the scene that he had found Chelesani with two other men and lost control. At first, he thought she was simply drunk and unconscious, but when he realised she was dead, he bolted.
Police were tipped off by constabulary officer Taison Majoni and officers from ZRP Donnington recovered the body. A post-mortem revealed she died from cranial trauma, a subdural haematoma, and blunt force injuries.
For over two years, Ndlovu remained a ghost until detectives finally caught up with him in January this year. Acting on a tip-off, they swooped on him while he was working at a shop in Mbamba, Tsholotsho.
