Man Kills Wife, Children After Discovering He Is Not The Father

A man in Zimbabwe has axed his wife and two children to death, after the wife reportedly told him that he was not the biological father.

The shocking incident happened in Village 4 under Chief Svosve in Hwedza on September 8, 2020.

According to information on i Harare, Innocent Chakabuda had a heated argument with his wife Junior Dzonga, whom he suspected of being engaged in an extra-marital affair.

During the course of the argument, Dzonga is alleged to have told Chakabuda that he was not the biological father of the couple’s two children, Vongai and Anenyasha. The ages of the children had not been established at the time of publishing.

Incensed by this revelation, Chakabuda is alleged to have armed himself with an axe and struck his wife and children twice each on the back of their heads. After committing the heinous act, he tried to take his own life by ingesting a tobacco pesticide. However, he seems to have taken a non-lethal quantity of the poison.

Chakabuda was later arrested when the community learnt of what had transpired. He appeared before High Court judge Justice Erica Ndewere yesterday facing three counts of murder.

Chakabuda who is being represented by Phanuel Mazhande of Mazhande Legal Practice denied all the charges. His lawyer indicated that they will be using an insanity defence.

Mazhande argued that his client had suffered a psychotic break and does not recall committing the heinous murders. He also said that his client’s sanity should be examined by two Government medical doctors before the trial commences.

Mazhande also challenged the admissibility of his client’s warned and cautioned statement, saying that Chakabuda had been coerced into giving it by the police.

Appearing before the court, Mazhande said, “The accused and his wife exchanged words until wife told him that both children were hers and not his. Before conception of the first child, the couple had conception problems.

“The accused will state that he remembers seeing his wife on the floor with blood on her head and also remembers seeing his two children also lying on the floor. He also remembers seeing an axe on the ground beside the three deceased.

“The accused will state that he has no recollection of exactly what he did that resulted in the deaths of the three.

“The accused will state that he drank the poison so as to end his life simply because the sight he had seen frightened him and he had no appreciation of what had taken place,” he said.

Justice Ndewere granted the application for mental examination and ordered that Chakabuda returns to court on October 26 for trial.