HARARE - A Chitungwiza woman was acquitted on culpable homicide charges, following claims that she stabbed her husband to death during a dispute over the man’s alleged extra-marital affairs.
The 24-year-old woman Sithembiso Muvhami escaped a conviction after Harare regional magistrate Fadzai Mtombeni ruled that the State had failed to satisfy claims of negligence in the commission of the offence.
The court heard that the incident took place in July last year when Muvhami went to look for her husband Rhodin Goremucheche at his workplace, but failed to locate him.
It is alleged that Goremucheche’s workmates told Muvhami that her husband had gone out with his girlfriend.
This did not go down well with Muvhami, who waited for Goremucheche’s return. The two allegedly went to see Goremucheche’s brother Gandidzanwa Savanhu in the city centre, where they received counselling and left for their home.
While in their house, the court heard that a dispute arose pertaining to the extra-marital affair as Goremucheche threatened to assault Muvhami.
Muvhami is said to have fled from the house and went into Remember Kapita’s room, where a struggle for a knife ensued.
She allegedly stabbed Goremucheche on the left side of his mouth, down to the neck.
Muvhami, with the assistance of some neighbours tried to resuscitate Goremucheche but to no avail.
The matter was later reported at Epworth Police Station. Goremucheche’s body was taken to Parirenyatwa Hospital mortuary, where a post mortem was carried out.
The doctor concluded that Goremucheche died as a result of active respiratory failure.
In her ruling Mtombeni said she had considered facts leading to the commission of the alleged offence.
“The court considered that the deceased started this. He was the one aggressive, he was the one to take and possess a knife, threatening to use it to kill the accused,” Mtombeni said, before discharging Muvhami at the close of the State’s case.
She said Muvhami acted in a way that any reasonable person would have done.