adminMashudu Netsianda Senior Reporter
A Zimbabwean man based in Botswana set his hut on fire and tried to kill his five-year-old stepdaughter before committing suicide by hanging over his girlfriend’s alleged infidelity. According to Botswana’s The Voice newspaper, the incident occurred last week at Mabuo village in Francistown. Botswana police spokesperson, Superintendent Molefhe Patrick Molefhe identified the man as Herbert Nyamatendedza, 32, who had been staying with his girlfriend, Nnyana Sakarea, 22, a Motswana at Moiyabana village.
“On the fateful day, Nyamatendedza who had fought with Sakarea, left her at Mabuo village and told her that he was going to the nearby Moiyabana village to look for a house to rent as their relationship had ended. Instead of going to Moiyabana he went to the cattle-post where he was working as a herdsman,” said Supt Molefhe.
The following day, Sakarea received a call from a neighbour informing her that her boyfriend had committed suicide.
“It appears from our investigations that they had some differences before Nyamatendedza eventually took his life. He had also tried to kill his stepdaughter, but the young girl managed to escape,” Supt Molefhe said.
Before hanging himself, Nyamatendedza had tried to kill his stepdaughter by hanging her with a string from the rafters of a hut.
“Luckily the string snapped and the young girl managed to escape. Nyamatendedza then set one of the huts on fire and left a suicide note before he hanged himself,” said the police spokesperson.
The note read: “I killed myself because of my wife. I want her to enjoy her life with her boyfriends, I also killed my daughter so that she can feel the pain. Don’t take my body to Zimbabwe, kill my goats, chickens and my cattle so that people can have something to eat during our funeral.”
Nyamatendedza’s family has since collected his body.
Online Reporter