Zimbabwe: Man Jailed 19 Years for Killing Estranged Wife At in-Laws' Homestead

A 35-year-old man who fatally stabbed his estranged wife at her parents' homestead in Hwange has been sentenced to 19 years in prison after the High Court rejected his claim that he acted in the heat of the moment.

Justice Evangelista Kabasa, sitting in Hwange found Khulekani Mpofu guilty of murder, ruling that his actions were deliberate and not provoked as he claimed.

The court heard that in the early hours of September 2, 2025, Mpofu went to his in-laws' home where his wife had been staying and attacked her with a kitchen knife.

"He stabbed the now deceased several times... she lay there in a pool of blood," the court noted, adding that her screams drew neighbours who found him fleeing the scene armed with the weapon.

Mpofu admitted to the killing but argued he lost control after reading a message on his wife's phone, which he suspected was from a lover. However, the court dismissed this defence, describing his version as inconsistent and unconvincing.

"There was no spontaneity to his actions. He did not lose self-control but merely meted out the punishment he felt the now deceased deserved," ruled Justice Kabasa.

The judge said the accused's conduct showed intent to kill, pointing to multiple deep stab wounds. "Why would a person literally slice into another human being with a knife...? The marks of violence... could only have been inflicted by a person whose intention was to kill," he said.

The court further condemned the killing as part of a broader pattern of domestic abuse, noting that the victim had left the accused and sought refuge with her family. "You disrespected your in-laws' home by killing their daughter at their home," the judge said during sentencing.

In a powerful rebuke, the court described gender-based violence as "a cancer that is refusing to go away," highlighting the devastating impact on the victim's family. Her mother told the court she was forced to destroy the hut where the murder occurred and is now caring for the couple's five children.

Mpofu fled after the attack without helping his dying wife. "You... cowardly fled when you realised there were people who had come after hearing her loud screams," the judge said.

The court initially considered a 20-year sentence but reduced it to 19 years to account for time already spent in custody.

Read the original article on New Zimbabwe.