By Patrick Chitumba
A GWERU woman allegedly stabbed her husband’s girlfriend to death with a kitchen knife after she found the woman in bed with her husband in their matrimonial bedroom.
The suspect, Stacey Thokozani Mnkandla (34), had just arrived home from an all-night prayer when she stumbled upon the two lovers in the act in the early morning hours of Saturday.
Midlands provincial police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko confirmed the incident which occurred at around 4am. He identified the deceased as Brightness Phiri (27).
“I can confirm a murder case which happened in Mkoba 14 suburb in Gweru on Saturday at about 4am. The deceased, Brightness Phiri of Mkoba 14 was fatally stabbed by Stacey Thokozani Mnkandla after she found her in her matrimonial bed with her husband,” he said.
Insp Mahoko said Mkandla had left her house the previous day for an all-night prayer in Senga suburb leaving her husband Tafadzwa Emmanuel Munyoro at home.
“She returned earlier than expected in the morning. She stormed into their bedroom and found her husband and the now deceased sleeping,” he said.
Insp Mahoko said Mkandla allegedly took a knife from the kitchen intending to stab Phiri but her husband managed to take the knife and stormed out of the house.
The suspect is alleged to have taken another knife and stabbed the deceased several times.
The now deceased collapsed and died while fleeing naked. Our officers attended the scene and Mnkandla who handed herself to police at Nehanda Police Station, is assisting with investigations,” said Insp Mahoko.
Mnkandla’s lawyer, Mr Esau Mandipa of Mutatu and Mandipa Legal Practice, said his client went and left their two children at her mother’s house in Southdowns on Friday evening before she proceeded to Senga suburb for an all-night prayer.
“During the all-night prayer, my client received a phone call from her neighbour at around 3am informing her that there was another woman with her husband in their matrimonial house,” he said.
The lawyer said Mnkandla then asked one of the church members to drive her home on the pretext that she wanted to attend to some emergency.
“When my client got home, the kitchen door was not locked and she went in. She noticed that there were plates on the table and some dirty pots on the stove,” said Mr Mandipa.
Mnkandla opened the bedroom door and switched on the light
That is when she found her husband and the deceased woman lying in the bed. When she quizzed her husband, he failed to respond after which she pulled the woman by her hair and dragged her to the kitchen,” he said.
She picked a knife and her husband grabbed it from her before he went out of the house.”
Mnkandla and Phiri engaged in a fight during which the former picked another knife and stabbed the latter several times on top of the eye, on the breast and hands before the deceased bolted out of the house.
Mr Mandipa said Mnkandla then removed her blood-stained clothes and soaked them in water before she started cleaning the house.
He said his client later discovered that she had killed the deceased after she saw a group of people standing in the streets.
When she got closer, she discovered the deceased was lying on the ground.
Mr Mandipa said Mnkandla immediately informed her relatives about the incident.
“Mnkandla’s relatives came and they went to Nehanda Police Station where she handed herself to the police. My client said she had no intention to kill the now deceased but acted out of anger in the heat of the moment.
