Girlfriend butchers chief to death

succumbing to injuries sustained during the vicious machete attack at the hands of his girlfriend, Sarah Mtisi Mandlazi. The girlfriend has since been arrested on murder charges and is assisting police with investigations.
“Yes, we can confirm that we have since arrested Sarah Mtisi Mandlazi in connection with Chief Mpungu’s murder, but unfortunately we can not divulge much for fear of jeopardising investigations,” said police provincial spokesman, Inspector Leonard Chabata.
Investigations by this paper revealed that the 61-year-old Chief Mpungu, who sustained a deep cut on the forehead where he needed 13 stitches to cover the wound, other deep cuts on both cheeks and lost a number of teeth in the process, is believed to have been murdered by his 31-year-old live-in girlfriend while they were alone at home.
The grisly incident, which occurred in Ward 28 of the Chipinge South constituency, has sent tongues wagging in the remote area, with villagers threatening to take the law into their own hands if the suspected culprit is set free.
When The Manica Post visited Chief Mpungu’s homestead on Sunday, relatives, friends and fellow villagers were still battling to come to terms with the gruesome murder of their traditional leader. In an interview on Sunday, the late chief’s young brother, Mr Naison Nxumalo, said upon his arrival at the chief’s homestead, he was told that the traditional leader had been rushed to the nearby St Peter’s Mission Hospital after being struck by a machete thrice by his girlfriend.
“I was not here when the incident happened. In fact, the two – the chief and his girlfriend – were alone here when it happened. I was told that the chief was struck with a machete while in the toilet. He bled profusely. When we made a follow up to St Peter’s Hospital, we were informed that he had been transferred to Chiredzi District Hospital where he is said to have died upon admission.
“However, we were also reliably informed that he even told nurses at St Peter’s Hospital and those at Chiredzi District Hospital that he had been struck by a machete by his girlfriend,” he said.
Mr Nxumalo said the two had a history of unending altercations emanating from the use of money and the girlfriend’s suspicion that the chief was seeing another woman.
“It is painful to note that we all knew that there was nothing going on between the chief and the woman whom his girlfriend suspected him to be in love with.
“In fact, a day before she succeeded in her intentions, she even tried to strike the chief with the same machete, but was restrained by close relatives who were present. She was violent,” he said.