Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. A Plumtree man has been sentenced to two life terms behind bars for the callous, premeditated murder of his in-laws in April 2022.
Tafirei Ndlovu appeared at the Bulawayo High Court last week facing charges of fatally striking his in-laws Xolani Mpofu and Sibalungele Ncube with an axe before burning the corpses in a grass-thatched kitchen hut on April 14, 2022.
Soon after committing the heinous act, he attempted to flee to Botswana but was stopped in his tracks and arrested by border patrol officers.
In a statement, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) Ndlovu had contacted his mother-in-law the previous day, claiming he wanted to reconcile with his wife who had returned to her parents’ home following a domestic dispute.
“The victims were savagely assaulted with an axe before being dragged into a kitchen hut, which was then set alight,” NPAZ revealed.
“The harrowing incident unfolded around 02:00 hours and was witnessed by Nomusa Nyoni, Ndlovu’s wife and the daughter of the deceased.”
After committing the heinous murders, with the assistance of an accomplice identified as Kudzani Mathukuthu, Ndlovu kidnapped his wife with the intention of forcing her to illegally cross back into Botswana.
“Fortunately, she managed to alert border police on patrol, and informed them of her kidnapping and her parents’ murders. Ndlovu and his accomplice attempted to flee, but he was apprehended, though his co-accused managed to escape,” NPAZ said.
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