Zimbabwe – A dark cloud hangs over Chiredzi after a supposedly upstanding member of the community – Dr William Phiri, committed grisly murders killing his two infant children with a knife before he attempted to take his own life.
Two of Phiri’s(56) children who survived the gruesome attack are reportedly battling for their lives at Chiredzi District Hospital.
The prominent Chiredzi Doctor is being treated at the same hospital where his children are admitted for injuries he sustained when he tried to commit suicide.
The publication established from The Herald that, Dr Phiri went into a fit of violent and uncontrollable anger killing Princess (3) and Victor (7 months) and injuring Ropafadzo (6) and Themba (4) after he had a dispute with his wife.
The dispute is alleged to have started when Phiri’s infidelity was exposed after he did not return home on New Year’s Eve.
When he returned home he ordered his wife to wash his filthy clothes, the wife is said to have refused and told him to take the clothes to his girlfriend for washing
This triggered Phiri’s anger and he went berserk launching a vicious attack on his family, his wife reportedly fled to a friend’s house for safety.
Dr. Phiri then locked his four children and himself in the house and stabbed the helpless children with a knife, knocked them on the floor before setting the house on fire.
At this point, Phiri wanted to kill himself and all his children in the fire.
Mr. Crispen Tongogara, Dr. Phiri’s neighbor narrated the sequence of the acutely distressing events that took place on Sunday evening at UB 12 Admin Mkwasine Estates (Phiri’s homestead).
Mr. Tongogara said he was still in shock considering that Dr. Phiri was a quiet sober man who adored his family.
He (Dr Phiri) was a teetotaller whom I never saw drinking any form of alcohol including even wine. He also did not smoke and was a very quiet guy. A typical family man.
What he did was unbelievable because he was a professional man who offered help to patients at the nearby Mkwasine Clinic. He was also into cane farming.
I knew Dr Phiri as a well-behaved man and I am still in shock.
I was a little bit surprised and became suspicious because of Mrs Phiri’s movements on Sunday. She seemed unsettled and restless and was making many movements at the home but we just thought it was just like any other day,” said Mr Tongogara.
Tongogara said on Sunday evening he saw Phiri driving his tractor on his farm and they greeted each other.
However, that evening Mr. Tongogara and other neighbors rushed to Dr. Phiri’s farm to investigate after they heard people screaming and seeing smoke coming from the house.
We discovered that Dr Phiri’s house was on fire but the doors were locked from inside so I actually led in forcing one of the doors open to rescue those trapped inside, Mr Tongogara said.
When the rescuers broke down the door they found two dead bodies lying in a pool of blood and rescued the other two including Dr. Phiri who was unconscious and naked.
Two of the children were still alive and we rushed them to Mkwasine Clinic.
While we were trying to pull out property with others trying to put out the fire, Dr Phiri regained consciousness and we discovered that he had a pistol as he ran back into the inferno screaming that he wanted to die because he was suffering.
When he got out of the house, we tried to subdue him but we later stopped as we feared he would fire at us.
He started walking towards a nearby cane field still naked and crying repeatedly that he must be allowed to die as he was suffering, he said.
Dr. Phiri was found in the can field at around 10 pm by the Police and volunteers.
He was naked and had stab wounds on his chest and burns on his feet.
He could have shot himself dead but when his pistol was found in the mud it was jammed.
