admin
Crimes of passion are on the increase in Zimbabwe and this is a cause for concern. Hardly a day passes without reports of couples fighting over infidelity. What is disturbing is that in many of the fights lives have been lost. Women are in most cases on the receiving end though in a few cases they have been the perpetrators. On Friday we carried a story of a jilted Bulawayo man who went on to stab to death his estranged wife before hanging himself. Commuter omnibus driver, Gellot Ncube of Gwabalanda suburb, stabbed his ex-wife Nomqhele Nkiwane nine times on the face, neck and chest.
He thereafter hanged himself. Nkiwane had walked out of their matrimonial home last month accusing Ncube of infidelity. On Saturday we had another story of a jilted man who fatally struck his estranged wife’s lover. Arthur Sibanda of Bulawayo’s Entumbane suburb allegedly ran amok and attacked Elvis Dube when he found him at his ex-wife’s house. Sibanda is said to have pounded Dube with a spanner, cracking open his skull.
On Thursday there was another story of an enraged Masvingo woman who scalded her husband of 10 years with boiling cooking oil following a dispute over the man’s girlfriend. Chipo Shiriyedende emptied a litre of boiling cooking oil on her husband, Tapiwa Chibundu, after he answered a phone call from his girlfriend.
Chibundu, who is admitted at Masvingo General Hospital, is reported to be in critical condition.
These are just a few of the many cases of crimes of passion that are reported in the media daily. It seems these days couples are resorting to violence to resolve domestic disputes and as already stated many of these disputes have cost lives.
The institution of marriage is under serious threat as a result of these crimes of passion. Many children have been orphaned after their fathers kill their mothers and then commit suicide. Many people no longer respect the sanctity of life, hence men are killing their wives even over petty disputes.
It was taboo in the old days for an individual to kill someone but things have changed these days. The challenge to society is to find out what has gone wrong.
In the past couples used to have disputes but these were resolved amicably. The aunties and uncles used to mediate in such disputes and in most cases couples were reconciled.
Cases of infidelity are largely to blame for most of the domestic disputes, a confirmation that couples are no longer upholding their marriage vows. Community leaders, the Church and parents have a responsibility to inculcate especially in young couples, moral values.
The moral decay witnessed today is largely to blame for the many cases of domestic violence.
We want to appeal to married people to respect the institution of marriage which has over the years held society together. No individual has a right to take one’s life and society should say no to this culture of violence.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter