Shocking As Man Axes Wife To Death

A 42 year-old woman of Namafuka village in Zimba, Southern Province, has died after being repeatedly hacked with an axe by her husband.
The suspect later attempted to commit suicide by drinking a poisonous chemical before hanging himself, but his efforts were quelled.
The incident comes barely a month after a 40-year-old man of Musonzya village in Zimba committed suicide after allegedly beating his 41-year-old wife to death with a pounding stick following a domestic dispute.
Zimba district commissioner Elizabeth Kalaluka said yesterday that the incident happened on Friday around 18:00 hours after the couple quarrelled over their daughter, who has a tendency of returning home at odd hours.
Ms Kalaluka identified the woman as Lydia Muleya of Chief Simwatachela’s area while the suspect has been identified as Johnface Kambwali of the same area.
Kambwali hacked Ms Muleya on the throat, forehead and left arm.
“The incident happened after the couple had a quarrel when Mr Kambwali inquired why his daughter was returning home late but Ms Muleya advised him to counsel their daughter when he is sober and not when he is drunk.
“It was at this point that Kambwali got annoyed and axed his wife five times on the throat, twice on the forehead and on her left arm,” Ms Kalaluka said.
Kambwali immediately ran into a nearby bush where he tried to commit suicide by drinking a poisonous substance.
“He tried to commit suicide but he vomited the chemical he drank. The man later tried to hang himself and that is how the neighbourhood watch apprehended him and took him to the police station,” Ms Kalaluka said.
Kambwali was apprehended around 18:30 hours near Siamafunda Primary School and is detained at Zimba Police Station. He will appear in court soon.
Efforts to get a comment from Southern Province commissioner of police Mary Chikwanda proved futile as by late afternoon yesterday, she was reportedly attending a funeral in Livingstone.
And Non-Governmental Organisations Co-ordinating Council Southern Province co-ordinating officer Faith Simukoko described the incident as sad and that the law should take its course.
“That is a very sad case of gender-based violence and we urge members of the community to use dialogue and not axes and violence when sorting out domestic disputes,” Ms Simukoko said.
She called on Government and civil society organisations to partner and strengthen the fight against GBV.