Story by Mercy Bofu-Matinha
A DOMESTIC dispute in Ndonyerai Village, Chivi District, ended in tragedy after a man who responded to a family distress call was allegedly stabbed to death while trying to mediate the conflict.
Godfrey Romberai was allegedly killed by his sister’s husband, Wilbert Rice (43), after he and other relatives went to the couple’s home to help resolve a domestic dispute.
According to the deceased’s sister, Ms Sibongile Romberai, the altercation began after her husband returned home in the early hours of Monday and allegedly became violent.
“We had an altercation on Monday morning after he came home around 3 am. He started being violent, and I had to go to the police to report him. When I came back, I found him drinking at the shops with my brothers and cousins. When we came back home, he started being violent again, and I had to inform my relatives, including the deceased, who is my brother. They came here to resolve the altercation; however, he ended up stabbing my brother, who died on the spot.”
The deceased’s son, Trymore Tando, said the family had attempted to defuse the situation before it turned violent.
“We came here after our aunt had reported that our brother-in-law was beating her. When we tried to counsel them, he started being violent, and we decided to take our aunt and leave. On our way out, he followed us and continued being violent. He then produced a knife and stabbed our father.”
The incident has left the community in shock.
“We are still in shock as a community. We used to admire this couple, and we never imagined that they would fight to such an extent. Now we are witnessing a loss of life,” a neighbour said.
Village Head Mr Tariro Makusha said the tragedy had compounded the community’s grief.
“This is not the first time I have heard about this couple fighting. However, we are saddened as a community because last week we buried the deceased’s daughter, and as you can see, the community is in grief.”
The deceased’s body has been taken to Masvingo General Hospital for a post-mortem, while the suspect remains in police custody and is expected to appear in court.
Zimbabwe Republic Police Masvingo provincial spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa urged families to resolve conflicts peacefully.
“As the Zimbabwe Republic Police, we urge the public to resolve domestic disputes amicably and desist from keeping dangerous weapons. Sadly, this domestic dispute led to the loss of life.”
Police have launched investigations into the incident, while community leaders have urged families to seek peaceful ways of resolving disputes before they escalate into violence. The case comes amid growing concern over domestic violence incidents resulting in loss of life.
