A 63-year-old woman from Gwanda has appeared in court accused of killing her 70-year-old husband with an axe during a violent confrontation at their home in Matshetsheni Village.
Miriam Ndlovu was not asked to plead when she appeared before Gwanda magistrate Ms Brenda Kachepa facing a murder charge. She was remanded in custody to August 27.
The case centres on a domestic altercation that began between Ndlovu’s husband, Harold Ngwenya, and his stepdaughter, Happiness Ndlovu, at the couple’s homestead on August 11. What started as a heated dispute escalated after Ngwenya allegedly picked up an axe and struck the younger woman above her left eye with the back of the weapon.
The State alleges that Ndlovu stepped in to protect her daughter, overpowered Ngwenya and took the axe from him. She is then accused of striking him twice on the head. Ngwenya fell to the ground and died at the scene.
Prosecuting, Mr Shepherd Moyo told the court that the incident happened at about 5PM while the three family members were at home.
“On the 11 August 2026 at around 5PM, the now deceased, Harold Ngwenya, was at home together with his wife, who is the accused person, and Ms Happiness Ndlovu, who is their daughter. The now deceased had an altercation with his stepdaughter who went on to accuse him of being a witch,” said Mr Moyo.
The court heard that the accusation preceded the physical confrontation. Ngwenya allegedly responded by using the back part of an axe to hit Happiness above her left eye. Ndlovu allegedly intervened as the assault continued and restrained her husband.
“Ngwenya struck his stepdaughter with the back part of an axe on the upper left eye and the accused person restrained Ngwenya from further assaulting her daughter,” said Mr Moyo.
During the struggle, Ndlovu allegedly managed to overpower Ngwenya and seize the weapon. The State alleges that she then used the axe to strike him twice on the head. Ngwenya collapsed and died on the spot.
The matter was reported to the police, leading to Ndlovu’s arrest. Matabeleland South acting provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Stanford Mguni confirmed the incident and said Ngwenya’s body was taken to Gwanda Provincial Hospital Mortuary.
The police spokesperson said the case highlighted the danger of allowing family disputes to turn violent, particularly when weapons are within reach.
“The accused person has been arrested and investigations are underway. We urge members of the public to desist from engaging in violence when faced with disputes. In this case the couple could have engaged traditional leaders or family members in order to resolve their dispute. We also discourage carrying of dangerous weapons as they end up being used to commit such offences,” he said.
The Gwanda case was heard alongside a separate murder matter involving a 22-year-old Filabusi man accused of killing his neighbour with a brick after a dispute over beer.
Khumbulani Hlongwane was not asked to plead when he appeared before Ms Kachepa facing a murder charge. He was remanded in custody to August 28.
Prosecuting, Ms Rest Mguni told the court that Hlongwane allegedly became involved in a fight between his friend, Bekithemba Sibanda, and Brighton Moyo on May 6. The three men were said to have been near a business centre at about 9PM when an argument broke out after Moyo allegedly drank Sibanda’s beer without permission.
“Sibanda and Moyo started fighting and Hlongwane, who was in the vicinity, assisted Sibanda and they ganged up on Moyo,” said Ms Mguni.
Moyo allegedly tried to escape, but the two men caught up with him a few metres from the business centre. The State alleges that Hlongwane picked up a brick and struck Moyo on the head, causing him to collapse and lose consciousness.
“Sibanda and Hlongwane fled from the scene leaving Moyo lying on the ground. Moyo’s body was found on the following morning near the business centre and the matter was reported to the police,” said Ms Mguni.
Police investigations later led to Hlongwane’s arrest after villagers told investigators they had seen him assaulting Moyo.
The two court cases have brought renewed attention to the speed with which ordinary disputes can become fatal when violence and weapons are introduced. In the Gwanda matter, the confrontation unfolded inside a family home. In Filabusi, a disagreement over a drink allegedly became a group assault before a brick was used as a weapon. Both cases involved people who were known to one another and incidents that began with arguments rather than reported criminal planning.
The latest cases come after another deadly axe incident in Bulawayo in July, when a 43-year-old church elder appeared in court accused of murdering his wife in Nkulumane. He was also accused of attacking the couple’s children with a metal rod. The case drew attention because the alleged attack took place in a family setting and left children exposed to the aftermath of extreme violence. Police have repeatedly urged members of the public to avoid confrontation and to seek assistance when a dispute becomes threatening.