adminSukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
A BULILIMA woman who stabbed her drunken ex-husband to death yesterday told a court that she killed him with the assistance of a herdsman. Dorris Ngwenya, 28, of Tokwana area, had initially told police she wrestled her husband alone, and disarmed him before plunging the knife into his chest in self defence.
However, it later emerged in court that the herdsman, Bigboy Ndlovu, 26, assaulted Ngwenya’s estranged husband with a hammer after Ngwenya stabbed him.
The two appeared before Plumtree magistrate, Livard Philemon, on initial remand facing charges of murdering Frank Ndlovu, 30.
They were remanded in custody to March 10.
Philemon advised them to each submit a bail application to the High Court.
Bigboy, who was employed as a herdsman at the Ngwenya homestead, allegedly grabbed Ndlovu from behind while Ngwenya retrieved a knife from the floor and stabbed her husband once on the chest.
Prosecuting Clemence Shawarira said Bigboy thereafter armed himself with a hammer and struck Ndlovu once on the back of the head.
He said Ngwenya had a misunderstanding with her husband on February 21 who accused her of having an affair with Kumbilani Dube.
Ngwenya separated with Ndlovu, her husband of 10 years, in December last year and moved back to her parents’ homestead alleging her husband was abusive.
“Ndlovu threatened to kill his ex-wife together with their three children and thereafter commit suicide. Ndlovu then tried to stab Ngwenya twice with a kitchen knife but she overpowered him and took the knife. They wrestled for the weapon until it fell to the ground.
“Ngwenya screamed for help thereby drawing the attention of Bigboy who was sleeping in another hut. On arrival Bigboy grabbed Ndlovu while his ex-wife stabbed him once,” said Shawarira.
He said Bigboy grabbed a hammer which was on Ndlovu’s waist belt and struck him once on the head.
He said Ndlovu fell on his back and his ex-wife and Bigboy fled from the homestead.
Shawarira said police recovered blood stained clothes from Ngwenya’s homestead while neighbours spotted her dumping a blood stained knife and hammer.
Ngwenya and Bigboy, Shawarira told the court, murdered Ndlovu in full view of his two children aged 10 and two years.
Their eight month old baby was also in the hut.
Ngwenya told the court Ndlovu did not stop abusing her after their separation as he would periodically destroy property at his in-laws’ homestead.
The court heard that on the day he died, Ndlovu approached his ex-wife in the afternoon to investigate rumours that she was having an affair.
He allegedly went away to drink beer at Tokwana Bottle store.
Ndlovu later returned around 9PM in a drunken state.
The court heard how he broke down the door to his ex-wife’s bedroom where she was sleeping with her children, demanding to talk to her about the alleged affair resulting in the misunderstanding.
Online Reporter