adminMunyaradzi Musiiwa Midlands Correspondent
A JILTED Gweru taxi driver who recently went berserk and ripped open his long time girlfriend’s stomach, gouged out her eyes with a screw driver and strangled her before attempting to commit suicide by hanging himself is now suffering from mental illness.Charles Chifamba of Mkoba Village 17 high density suburb in Gweru has been admitted to the Gweru Provincial Hospital psychiatric ward after he allegedly lost control of his mental faculties following the cold blooded murder of his girlfriend.
Gweru Provincial Hospital medical superintendent, Dr Fabian Mashingaidze, confirmed that Chifamba had been admitted to the institution’s psychiatric ward.
“We have a patient by that name (Charles Chifamba) admitted in the psychiatric ward,” he said.
Chifamba recently appeared before Gweru magistrate, Ms Judith Taruvinga, to answer to charges of contravening section 47 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9: 23, murder. He was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody at Gweru Provincial Hospital to 11 December after the court considered that he still needed medical attention.
Chifamba was advised to apply for bail at the High Court.
The State led by Mr Andrew Marimo alleged that on Wednesday last week at around 3pm, the accused, allegedly stabbed and ripped open his estranged girlfriend Ms Fadzai Chipfunde’s stomach with a kitchen knife, gouged out her eyes using a screw driver before striking her with a brick on the head. The accused, who was suspected to have been intoxicated, went on to strangle Ms Chipfunde with a cloth.
It is alleged that, on the said date, the accused went to the now deceased Ms Chipfunde’s place where the two had a misunderstanding after the latter had allegedly ditched the former for another man.
The court heard that the two had an altercation that degenerated into a fight after the accused had confronted his girlfriend over the matter. It is also alleged that the accused dragged Ms Chipfunde to her bedroom and punched her all over the body before stabbing her in the stomach with a kitchen knife. He went on to gouge her eyes out using a screw driver and struck her with a brick on the head before strangling her using a long cloth.
After the murder Chifamba tried to commit suicide by downing a bottle of poison but was quickly rushed to Gweru Provincial Hospital by fellow tenants.
The matter was reported to the police leading to the arrest of the accused.
Ms Chipfunde’s body was left in the room for about 24 hours before it was retrieved by police and relatives.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu