A Mutare man died after being pushed out of a 4th-floor window at Matida Hostel in Sakubva.
Gift Saungweme (40) lost his life after he was allegedly pushed by Tawanda Chirenje (25) when the two men were wrestling by the window.
The incident occurred early Sunday morning when Chirenje caught Saungweme in a compromising position with his estranged wife, Phillipa Dariyani (25). Chirenje reportedly assaulted Dariyani with the flat side of a machete and then turned on Saungweme, leading to a scuffle that ended with Saungweme falling from the fourth-floor window.
Police are now on the hunt for Chirenje, who disappeared shortly after Saungweme’s fall from the building.
Manicaland provincial police spokesperson Inspector Nobert Muzondo confirmed that the police are treating the matter as a murder incident. He told said:
“As the police, we urge people not to take the law into their own hands and not to use violence when such matters arise.”
Love triangle details
According to friends of the victim and his lover, Dariyani, who works as a lady of the night, had offered her services to Saungweme. It was during this time that Chirenje caught them red-handed.
Shallon Maisera, in whose apartment the two lovebirds were caught red-handed, said:
“I was shocked to find Chirenje inside my apartment with the lovebirds. Dariyani was crying and begging for Chirenje to forgive her. I tried to stop him, but he pushed and locked me outside.”
She added that Dariyani was assaulted all over her body with the machete.
Chirenje’s violent nature
Dariyani’s friend, Memory Chaipa, said the relationship between Chirenje and Dariyani was strained due to Chirenje’s violent nature.
“Chirenje is negligent and violent, which is why Dariyani joined us in s3x work. She wanted to take care of her five children, but Chirenje would not understand this. He has one child with her but does not look after that child.”
Informant accusations
The victim’s friends confronted each other on who could have alerted Chirenje that Dariyani was with Saungweme. They accused Maisera of being the informant, but she strongly denied it.
“I honestly do not know how everything took place. I was at the bar buying beers. I did not call Chirenje. Why would I do that when Dariyani is my best friend?”
Rituals and revenge
Prior to the press' arrival at Matida Flats, the Saungweme family had been at the scene to conduct some rituals.
Saungweme’s mother ordered her dead son to revenge those that caused his death. She took some blood-stained soil from where he fell and conducted some rituals. The mother’s behaviour frightened residents, and she threatened that the whole Matida Hostel would be uninhabitable due to her son’s ghost.
