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Roselyne Sachiti Deputy Features Editor
THE widower of the Headlands woman who last Friday fatally poisoned her three children before hanging herself says he does not blame his late wife for the tragedy as it was not of her making, but other forces.
Happison Mhonda — who escaped death by a whisker on the same day — could not shed more light on the “forces”, but has threatened to take his own life saying the tragedy and the media who keep asking too many questions are taking a toll on him.
Last Friday, Mhonda’s wife Enia Jinjika (29) left the Headlands community stunned when she also attempted to burn Mhonda’s car, a Toyota Starlet he had recently bought from a driving school and the locked hut he was sleeping in citing infidelity.
The bodies of the children, who were aged seven, four and three were found in a well.
The bereaved Mhonda (38) of Village 4A in Zambara, Headlands, could not hide his emotions when The Herald visited his homestead to attend the burial of his family, which was wiped out in the tragedy.
Grief pervaded the funeral wake. A group of female mourners sat on a roadside in one corner of a fence as they waited for the bodies, which were expected to be released from Rusape General Hospital in the morning.
Another group of women prepared food near the gate on the roadside while a handful of men were digging the four graves some metres away from the homestead.
The funeral took place outside the homestead because it is considered taboo to conduct it within the home if a person commits suicide.
People who die in such a manner do not lie in state in this part of the country and many others are usually taken straight to the graveyard for burial.
All these beliefs and customs became a reality for Mhonda who quietly sat in a tent, also in the corner of their homestead, emotions visibly boiling inside him.
He knew he would be on his own from the night the bodies were buried as mourners are also expected to disperse immediately as per custom.
No one, except him is allowed to sleep at the homestead once the burial has been done and this worried him.
After thorough vetting by one of his relatives, he agreed to hear what we wanted from him.
“I am going through a tough time. Everyone here has put me under surveillance because they are afraid that I will kill myself. They are following me everywhere, even when I go to the toilet.
“I know you are doing your job and also doing this for money, but please spare me. I am frustrated from many calls I have been receiving on this issue and don’t want to entertain you.
“I am sorry, please tell your bosses that I am tired and cannot be of any help,” pleaded the visibly shaken Mhonda, who also thanked us for coming, but told us to immediately leave as he escorted us to our car.
Trying to convince him to shed a bit of light bore a few fruits as in his efforts to explain why he did not want to be interviewed, he spilled some information also highlighting his worst fears. Firstly, there will be no one to comfort and console him once his family is buried as he will remain alone.
“Their clothes are being taken out of the house right now and they will be thrown into their graves,” he pointed out.
He also feared reading the article in the newspaper saying this would bring back bad memories of the fateful day.
“When I went to Rusape for the post-mortem results, I saw newspaper headlines and it hurt me more. I am not stubborn, but just imagine burying four people you lived with at once,” he said
Added Mhonda who now had summoned an unidentified uncle to be part of our conversation: “I do not blame my late wife for what happened. I think there are forces behind this.
“I have spent a lot of money on this funeral, almost US$2 000, I have taken my car for repairs and have also paid the lobola my in-laws were demanding.
“I am now bankrupt and it would not be good for you to come back here and write about my death if I kill myself,” he said.
Asking for permission to just hang around and pay our last respects and assuring him that no cameras and notebooks would be involved also hit a brick wall as he could have none of that, he was a man in pain and wanted to close this chapter of his “loved” ones with family.
He for the second time pleaded with us to leave, and we did just that finding a hideout in a nearby village as we waited for the arrival of the caskets.
Unfortunately, a snitch could have told him of our whereabouts making him leave the funeral wake in the company of a male relative and drove to where we were. He stormed out of the car, went to the driver’s window and confronted us.
“What are you still doing here? I told you that I do not want you near this place. Why can’t you sympathise with my predicament, can’t you see I am in pain?
“Why do you want to raise my temper? Why do you want to kill me?” he said as he broke down uncontrollably – clinging to the driver’s side of our car’’.
He then threatened to kill himself and one of our news crew and also damage our car if we did not leave.
After successfully calming him down, we left our not-so-good hideout and he drove behind us leaving us as we drove into Mutare Road.
He later sent for some relatives to guard the road leading to his homestead as he drove to Halfway where they parked their car.
After hanging around along Mutare Road driving towards Rusape we later met a convoy of cars carrying the caskets.
Further attempts to access the funeral wake were fruitless.
But, a source at the funeral said the three were laid to rest at 2pm.
Online Reporter