Fungi Kwaramba-National Editor
FOR months, Zimbabwe has been gripped by a disturbing wave of intimate partner murders.
Spouses, partners and parents are turning on each other with a cruelty that shocks the conscience, leaving behind shattered families, orphaned children, and communities grieving in disbelief.
Addressing thousands of Zanu PF supporters in Chinhoyi, President Mnangagwa raised alarm over the crisis.
“On the social and cultural development front, I am gravely concerned by the growing number of reported marital crimes which are resulting in the loss of lives,” President Mnangagwa said.
“This is not who we are as the Zimbabwean people.
“I call for the restoration of family values and respect for the sanctity of life. Semusangano weruzhinji rwevanhu veZimbabwe, ngatirambei tichikurudzira tsika nemagariro akanaka.”
The crisis is backed by grim data. Zimbabwe recorded 7 061 Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) cases in the first quarter of 2026 alone, with physical abuse and domestic violence accounting for 3 505 of those offences.
Accusations of infidelity have repeatedly triggered these fatal attacks.
In a high-profile tragedy, Zimbabwe Human Rights Commissioner Dr Martin Muduva was murdered by his wife, Lyliosa Chirara.
She allegedly struck him three times with an axe before consuming rat poison after discovering WhatsApp status updates of her husband’s secret traditional marriage to a second wife. The incident left four children orphaned.
Other recent cases mirror this brutal pattern:
Mukumbura: A 50-year-old man axed his wife to death following an infidelity dispute.
Harare: A man strangled his wife with a shoelace over allegations of cheating.
Shamva: A husband murdered his pregnant wife after accusing her of having an affair.
Zhombe: A 23-year-old mother poisoned her two sons, aged six and nine, before ingesting the toxin herself.
Mvurwi: A man killed his two-year-old stepson and critically injured his wife before attempting suicide.
Gokwe: Two juveniles witnessed their father strangle and stab their mother to death.
During a deadly three-day surge between 21 and 23 September 2026, police recorded five deaths and four serious injuries from domestic altercations.
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi expressed concern over the increase, urging couples to seek help from professional counsellors, church ministers, or traditional leaders before disputes escalate.
The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe has also appealed to the public to use peaceful means to resolve domestic conflicts.
