Online Reporter
. . . Couple’s daughter (6) was first to witness grim scene in parents’ bedroom
Arron Nyamayaro
A COUPLE, whose bodies were found in their bedroom in Glen View yesterday, had sought counselling at their church leader just hours before their deaths.
Nyasha Mhungu, 36, and his wife, Olga Muzhingi, 31, died in their bedroom overnight yesterday and police have launched investigations to establish what caused their deaths.
A blood-stained stool, which was taken by police from their bedroom, will be key to the investigations to try and establish what really happened during that fateful night.
The removal of an axe, from the same bedroom, attracted a lot of attention from the residents of the area, although there was no immediate sign linking it to the death of either the husband or the wife.
Nyasha, who appears to have had a passion for body building, is said to have turned violent after finding some love messages in Olga’s cellphone.
A neighbour said Nyasha confronted the suspected lover, and beat him up to such an extent that the victim ended up with serious injuries, and was admitted at hospital.
The neighbour said Nyasha then turned his anger on Olga.
“As we speak, the suspected lover is admitted at hospital after he was assaulted by Nyasha for dating his wife,” the neighbour said.
“Nyasha and Olga had been to the police several times before their church leader decided to handle the issues.
“Nyasha spent much of Tuesday with Apostle Chikaka for counselling.
“In the evening, Nyasha was spotted beating Olga, questioning her about the alleged lover, but we did not think it would end this way.”
The neighbour also claimed Nyasha had been a bouncer for his church leader, Apostle Hardlow Chikaka, of the Baptism of Fire International Ministries.
Olga was into vending.
Some family members told the police there were still some unresolved issues related to the payment of lobola. One relative claimed that Nyasha had allegedly not paid lobola even though he had been staying with Olga for the past nine years.
Police moved swiftly to secure the scene and remove the bodies for post-mortem examinations.
Hours before they died, the two had sought counselling at their church leader, Apostle Chikaka, according to police officers investigating their deaths.
This revelation will support the possibility that the couple was having challenges in their marriage.
Some will argue that by seeking counselling, the two were prepared to confront whatever challenges were affecting their marriage and were prepared to open a window for the resolution of those problems.
Police collected several items from the bedroom and the exhibits included an axe, a shambok, a stool stained with blood, Olga’s cellphone and other materials.
The couple’s six-year-old daughter was the first person to visit her parents’ bedroom in the early hours of yesterday, police have revealed.
A relative said she saw her father vomiting when she entered the bedroom.
It’s likely that her mother had died by then, although it’s something that H-Metro cannot confirm.
What we know is that, apparently, the girl was seeking refuge among her parents after she had been whipped by her grandmother, Gogo Evelyn Tapera, for messing up her blankets.
She fled into her parents’ bedroom where she was greeted by the grim picture of her father vomiting.
She ran back to her grandmother and revealed what she had seen.
Olga’s brother, Nebert Muzhingi, told H-Metro that the couple had been living peacefully, although they had experienced “marital issues from time to time”.
“We were informed by one of their children and rushed there at around 0600 hours.
“We found the two dead, while the child had indicated that she saw her father vomiting,” Nebert said.
“We were shocked since the two have been living a peaceful life, although in marriage issues arise here and there.
“We have lost loving people and they were dedicated to their church duties.”
It has been a bloody September for couples with a number of marriages ending in tragedy.
Earlier this month, Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Commissioner, Martin Muduva, was axed by his wife Lyliosa Chirara at their home in Dzivarasekwa.
Lyliosa then committed suicide.
The tragic row was related to, among other things, the decision by Muduva to pay lobola for his second wife, Patience Mangwiro.
His friend said his bedroom, where he was axed to death by his wife, resembled ‘AN ABBATOIR’ when he arrived at the scene.
His description of the crime scene illustrates the graphic nature of the tragic events which led to the Commissioner’s death.
Earlier this week, a 30-year-old Harare man from Hatfield, who is facing allegations of strangling his wife to death with a shoe lace following a dispute over infidelity, was remanded in custody.
Stephen Sarurai was not asked to plead to murder charges when he appeared before Harare magistrate Lisa Mutendereki.
He was remanded in custody to October 2 and advised to apply bail at the High Court.
It is the State’s case that on Thursday last week, Stephen had a dispute with his wife Zvikomborero Tari over infidelity issues.
The court heard that Stephen then started assaulting her at their home before strangling her with a shoe lace.
She was ferried to Sally Mugabe hospital by her relatives where she was pronounced dead upon arrival.
