A 50-year-old Manicaland man died after an incest scandal involving his 20-year-old daughter reached Chief Marange’s traditional court, with the allegations still under investigation when he was found hanging from a tree near the Musatya River.
Benny Chimhuya, popularly known as Mudhara Beniza, was from Parowa Village under Chief Marange. He was found dead last week in what was described as an apparent suicide. The discovery came after a violent confrontation with his son, Wish, over claims that Chimhuya had been sleeping with his daughters.
The family dispute had already led to police involvement. Chimhuya and his son reportedly fought on the night before his death, with Wish accused of assaulting his father. Both men were arrested, and Chimhuya was taken to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital for treatment. He was discharged the following day, around the time his son was released.
Chimhuya returned home and died that evening, according to accounts from relatives and villagers. Police had not issued an official statement on the death at the time the details emerged.
The incest allegations had been placed before Chief Marange’s court, but the traditional proceedings had not been completed. Chief Marange said the matter was still pending and that investigations were continuing when Chimhuya died.
“The matter is still pending before my court. It is a pity that he killed himself. We were still doing our investigations,” Chief Marange said.
The main allegation concerned Chimhuya and one of his daughters, who was 20 years old. Relatives said the father and daughter had been living together at Bezeley Bridge while the rest of the family remained elsewhere. Chimhuya’s wife had moved to Mutare, according to the family account.
Mrs Dorcas Chimhuya-Mangwandi, Chimhuya’s sister, said the allegations extended beyond one daughter. She said one daughter had become pregnant while living with him and that the baby died shortly after birth. The matter was then taken to Chief Marange’s court. Another daughter, who is now married, also accused Chimhuya of abusing her.
“It is alleged that he was sleeping with some of his daughters. He has been staying with one of them at Bezeley Bridge, as husband and wife, while the rest of his family stayed here, except for the wife, who had moved to Mutare after the pair moved out,” Mrs Chimhuya-Mangwandi said.
Chimhuya denied the allegations before his death. His sister said he claimed people were jealous of his close relationship with his daughter and that he was teaching her to drive. The case remained unresolved because investigators had not completed their work and no final ruling had been made.
The confrontation with Wish brought the family’s internal conflict into the open. Chimhuya’s sister said the two had fought repeatedly over the allegations, although no earlier report had been made because the family believed there was insufficient evidence.
“My brother hanged himself after a fight with his son, Wish. It was a fierce fight, with Wish assaulting him and demanding to know why he was abusing and sleeping with his sisters,” she said.
A villager described the disputes as a recurring problem at Gomorefu Business Centre, where the two were allegedly seen fighting over the incest claims.
“Wish and his father were always fighting. They would come here at Gomorefu Business Centre fighting over the issue of incestuous relationships, but none made a report about the deceased bedding his daughters due to insufficient evidence,” the villager said.
Chimhuya was the father of 10 children, five boys and five girls. His death left the allegations unresolved and the family facing questions about events that had reportedly continued within the household for some time.
In Chinhoyi, an 18-year-old man was convicted after having sexual intercourse with his 16-year-old sister at their rural home in Madhuveko Village, Zvimba.
The abuse reportedly began in May 2025, when the girl was preparing for school. Her brother entered her room, approached her from behind and caressed her before having sex with her. The siblings later had sex several more times, and the girl became pregnant.
The case only came to light after the girl became seriously ill. She was taken to hospital, where doctors found that she had suffered a miscarriage. The discovery led to an investigation, the arrest of her brother and his appearance before the Chinhoyi Magistrates’ Court.
The court imposed a 12-month jail sentence. Four months were suspended for five years on condition that he remained of good behaviour, while the remaining eight months were suspended on condition that he completed 280 hours of community service.
“This case highlights the importance of monitoring children, even siblings within the same household, as abuse can happen between siblings,” the prosecution said.
Another case heard in Masvingo involved a 24-year-old woman from Victoria Ranch who pleaded guilty to an incestuous relationship with her maternal uncle. The incident was reported to have occurred in April 2025. She told the court that her uncle came to her bedroom and that they had sex twice on the same day.
The woman said it was her first time drinking beer and that she was heavily intoxicated after her uncle brought her a cup containing Two Keys. She said she could not remember some of what happened. The matter came to light after her 11-year-old brother allegedly found a video of the sexual activity on her phone. The woman denied knowing about the video and said she did not have a phone at the time.
She appeared before Masvingo Regional Magistrate Innocent Bepura on 14 October 2025. She asked for leniency, citing poor health, self-employment and responsibility for her five-year-old child. The court was awaiting assessment reports, and no final sentence was reported in the account of the proceedings.
The father’s identity was withheld because the victim was a minor. The sentence was imposed by the Zvishavane Magistrates’ Court.
A separate Bulawayo case ended with a 25-year-old man receiving a 15-year prison sentence for raping his 22-year-old cousin inside a car. The incident began when he went to the woman’s home in Thorngrove late at night and told her that his vehicle had developed a fault. He asked her to accompany him to look for fuel.
After driving into town and briefly stopping at a nightclub, the pair returned towards Thorngrove. At Humbly Road, the woman wanted to leave the vehicle, but the man locked the doors and moved to the back seat. He forcibly pinned her down and raped her. The court heard that she suffered bruises to her hand and back.
Bulawayo regional magistrate Shingai Mutiro imposed the 15-year sentence after finding the man guilty of rape. The case was treated as serious because violence had been used.
Together with the unresolved allegations surrounding Chimhuya’s death, the cases show how sexual abuse can remain hidden inside families until a medical emergency, a child’s discovery, a tip-off or a violent confrontation brings it into the open. In Parowa Village, the investigation into the allegations ended with Chimhuya’s death, leaving relatives, traditional leaders and police to account for what happened before the case reached a conclusion.