In what appears to be yet another case of fatal domestic violence, a young woman from Madombidzha Zone 2 died after allegedly being stabbed by her boyfriend.
The victim, 22-year-old Vhatshilele Sikuba, was found dead on Sunday, 15 February, at about 02:30 by a neighbour who went to her house after hearing the couple fighting in the middle of the night.
Police spokesperson Capt Vuledzani Dathi confirmed the incident and said a murder case had been opened. According to Dathi, the suspect allegedly argued with Sikuba, which escalated into a fight, ending with him stabbing her in the head.
“We were alerted by members of the community about the incident, and when we arrived at the scene, Sikuba was lying dead on the floor. The suspect then fled the scene. He is alleged to have gone to Sikuba’s family to inform them that he had killed her,” said Dathi.
The suspect remains at large, and police investigations are ongoing.
Dathi urged anyone with information about the suspect’s whereabouts to come forward. He also called on couples to consult elders or counsellors when facing relationship problems to prevent such tragedies.
The deceased woman’s aunt, Ms Gloria Sikuba, said the family was deeply saddened by her death. She added that Vhatshilele and the suspect were living together as boyfriend and girlfriend. The two had been in a toxic relationship for years and shared a two-year-old son.
“Those two were always fighting. Vhatshilele wanted to break off the relationship many times, but he did not want that,” said Gloria.
Mr Itani Nenguda, chairperson of the Real Men Foundation, condemned the violence against women. “Real men do not kill or rape their women but give comfort and security to them. Let us all shout out in one voice against the abuse and cruelty perpetrated against our womenfolk, and this country will be a better place to live in,” he said.
Vhatshilele will be laid to rest at the Madombidzha local cemetery on Saturday, 21 February, with the service starting at 06:00.
Clarification: This article has been updated to reflect that the suspect has since been arrested. Click HERE to view the latest article.