adminMasvingo acting provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Charity Mazula said the incident happened on 27 September but was only discovered last week.
She identified the woman as Precious Mudhari (38), who was employed as a youth officer by the Ministry of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment.
Mudhari was stationed at Chingwerengwe base in Nyikavanhu.
The two were customarily married and had one child.
Asst Insp Mazula said police arrested the husband on Sunday.
“I can confirm that we have arrested Charter Parikumudenga (34) of Chief Mutasa in Manicaland in connection with murder and he is assisting us with investigations,” said Asst Insp Mazula.
She said police received a tip-off from the suspect’s workmate, who said there was a corpse at one of the Zinwa houses.
Asst Insp Mazula said Parikumudenga who worked as a water supply operator together with the informant was last seen with his wife on 28 September at about 5pm at his workplace.
The following day Parikumudenga allegedly approached the informant and demanded his $50 he had lent him.
The informant is said to have given him back his money but this time, Parikumudenga was alone.
“On 29 September, Parikumudenga did not turn up for work until on 4 October at about 2.50pm when the informant received a call from him. He allegedly told his colleague that his wife had been fatally attacked and her body was still at his house. He also told him that he would not see him again,” she said.
The informant did not waste time and went to report the matter to the police.
On receiving the tip-off, police officers at Nyikavanhu police base went to the scene but found the doors locked.
“They gained entry through a broken windowpane but again found the doors to other rooms locked. The two officers forced open the doors and began to search for the corpse but they could not find anything,” said Asst Insp Mazula.
She said one of the officers then opened a freezer intending to look for water to drink only to find the corpse inside.
“The corpse was frozen and the only parts of the body they managed to see were the buttocks and legs. The other parts were covered by ice,” said Asst Insp Mazula.
“The officers then alerted other officers who came and took the freezer to Renco Mine Hospital where the corpse was left to melt before being taken to Masvingo General Hospital mortuary for a postmortem. They also discovered weapons that we think were used to kill the woman and they included a small hammer and a piece of iron bar.
“According to the postmortem results, the woman was murdered because the body had a deep cut on top of its right eye, behind the right ear and there was a sign that she bled profusely from the nose and mouth.”
Online Reporter