Masvingo deaths Mum had fight, gone 2 days without food

Walter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent—
A 32-YEAR-OLD Masvingo woman, feared to have poisoned to death her two children and their cousin before taking her own life, had a dispute with her mother and had gone for two days without eating, it has emerged. Angeline Mabhiza, 32, of Nago Village under Headman Nemarundwi, also killed THREE other babies and not two as earlier reported.

Mabhiza and the three children, Taurai, 7, Leon, 6, and two-year-old Farai, died on Monday last week shortly after drinking a chemical believed to be a pesticide.
Farai, according to relatives, was found dead by pupils from Nemarundwi Secondary School while Leon, Angeline and Taurai were alive but frothing from the poison while lying down at the homestead.

The four pupils had visited the homestead intending to ask for water to drink.
The three were buried on Wednesday in Zimuto while Leon was buried at his mother Loveness Rukave’s home, somewhere in Zaka District.

On Friday, close relatives told Chronicle that prior to the tragedy, Angeline had gone for two days without eating following a dispute with her mother.
“Two days before she died, Angeline had not eaten anything after she had a dispute with her mother, Nyunyuto Mabhiza, over the children. This could be the cause of the tragedy,” said the relative.

“When Nyunyuto went away, we suspect she took advantage of the situation to poison the children before taking her own life.”
The relative said Angeline had three cases of baby dumping, two in 2011 and one in 2012.

“The Monday incident is the fourth one for Angeline. She dumped two babies in 2011 and another in 2012. However, this time, she decided to take her own life,” said the relative.

It remains a mystery why the family let her stay with the children given her history of “killing” babies.
The relative said Angeline gave birth to Farai soon after serving a community service sentence for an infanticide charge in 2012.

Our news crew visited the family on Friday and was told that Nyunyuto was away with other family members, which the relative said had gone to consult a sangoma over the tragedy in the Maraire area.

Only three female relatives were present and confirmed the family had left for Maraire.
On her return shortly after, Nyunyuto declined to be interviewed.

“There is nothing I can tell you, I was not there. I do not entertain the media and you cannot force me to talk,” she said.
Her daughter-in-law, Talent Wapindami, 22, who expressed shock over the tragedy, said it could have been better if Angeline had killed herself and left the innocent children.

She said while she was aware of Angeline’s previous history, she did not expect her to do what she did.
“She could have killed herself instead of innocent children. I wonder what crept into her head which saw her also poisoning someone’s child,” said Wapindami.
Rukave could not be reached for comment as her mobile phone was not reachable.