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CHRISTMAS holidays in Zimbabwe, particularly in parts of Matabeleland and Bulawayo have been characterised by high levels of violence, in the form of crimes of passion.
A crime of passion refers to a criminal act in which the perpetrator commits a crime, especially murder or assault, against someone because of sudden strong impulse such as sudden rage rather than as a premeditated crime. Crimes of passion in Bulawayo and Matabeleland provinces are commonly a result of extra-marital affairs, with mostly men who work in neighbouring South Africa and Botswana coming home for the holidays only to find their spouses having been impregnated by locals, or having moved on with their lives. Some incidents have resulted in loss of life, while others have resulted in serious injuries to parties involved.
In the United States, claims of “crimes of passion” have been traditionally associated with the defences of temporary insanity. This defence was first used by US Congressman Daniel Sickles of New York in 1859 after he had killed his wife’s lover, Philip Barton Key.
Our sister paper, Chronicle reported last week that a man who works in South Africa, came home unexpected only to find his wife in the company of a lover at his home in Tsholotsho. In a fit of rage, the injiva, as Zimbabweans based in South Africa are called, allegedly pounded his love rival with a hammer, beat him up with a sjambok and a metal rod before frenziedly slashing his back with a knife.
Of note, the injiva did not attack his wife, from Nembe Village under Chief Magama. After the act, the man surrendered himself to the police, and the attacked man was taken to hospital for medical attention in a sorry state. The incident was confirmed by the man’s wife, who told relatives that indeed she was in love with the assaulted man, adding that her husband had indicated that he would not visit home during the holidays.
This was just one incident that was reported, and we believe there are many such cases which have happened in various parts of the country, and our plea is for people to engage family members, community elders and even the police to sort their disputes instead of resorting to violence. We understand that matters of the heart are complex to deal with, but we urge people to think of possible consequences of their actions, no matter how undone or betrayed they feel.
In fact, violence does not solve anything, and only makes things worse, as after a crime has been committed, the perpetrator has to be prosecuted, with the possibility of landing in jail.
There are many things that are keeping the police busy during the festive season, as apart from crimes of passion, they have to contend with monitoring road users along the country’s highways as motorists throw caution to the wind during this time of the year due to a “busy” schedule.
There are also those who choose to indulge in alcohol excessively and become a nuisance in our streets and neighbourhoods, and thieves also seize the opportunity to strike as people lose their guard; all these issues need police attention. Let us all play our part to lessen the burden on the police, and make this holiday an enjoyable one for all.
Online Reporter