Harare — A security guard at Domboshawa Training Centre yesterday shot and killed his wife and four-year-old daughter after an argument over his alleged infidelity with a minor, before turning the gun on himself.

Eyewitnesses said the dispute started when Tichaona Chisvo's wife, Patricia Musona, got information that her husband was having an affair with a 13-year-old schoolgirl. She went to the girls' house and dragged her to her own homestead and reportedly assaulted the minor.

Chisvo, allegedly incensed by his wife's behaviour, manhandled her and in the scuffle shot his four-year-old daughter. Seeing what had happened, the wife fled from the house and sought help from neighbours with her husband in hot pursuit.

Musona allegedly unsuccessfully pleaded with her husband not to shoot her but he shot her in the back as she tried to run for dear life. Chisvo then put the gun to his head and shot himself. The child was rushed to Parirenyatwa hospital but died on the way.

When The Herald arrived at the scene, Chisvo and Musona's bodies were still lying on the ground. The brother of the 13-year-old girl said to have been having an affair with the guard, who also witnessed the incident, said he failed to stop Chisvo from shooting his wife.

"His wife came running crying for help. When I tried to intervene Chisvo pointed the gun at me and told me to keep quiet. "The wife unsuccessfully pleaded with her husband and when she tried to run away he shot her in the back," he said.

Mrs Juliet Chidyandunge, another eye-witness and a relative of the deceased woman, said she believed that the exposure of the love affair triggered the killings. Mr John Livala, the father of the 13-year-old girl also narrated the same story although he said he did not witness the incident himself.

"Chisvo's wife indeed came to my house and dragged my child (name supplied) to her house where she assaulted her and accused her of being in love with her husband. "When I heard about the assault I came running but before my arrival I heard gunshots and rushed with everyone else to see what had happened.

"We saw the two lying dead on the ground," he said. Several neighbours told this reporter that they knew about the love affair and said they believed the guard had killed his family and himself out of shame.

Another neighbour Mr Francis Nharingwa said the dispute started around midday, and he and other neighbours had teamed up to resolve the issue amicably. Chinamhora Police attended the scene and took the bodies for post-mortem.