A Mberengwa woman has been arrested on a murder charge after allegedly killing her 61-year-old husband with a farm brick during a domestic dispute.
Thokozani Tshuma was taken into custody on Tuesday after the fatal attack on her husband, Manford Mchede, at their homestead in Mberengwa. The incident happened on Sunday at around 10pm, when a disagreement between the couple escalated into a violent confrontation.
Midlands police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko said preliminary investigations indicated that the couple were at home when the misunderstanding began. Tshuma allegedly picked up a farm brick and struck Mchede several times on the head and face.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that the two were at their homestead when a misunderstanding arose between them. The situation escalated into a physical confrontation, during which the suspect picked up a farm brick and struck the victim several times on the head and face,” said Inspector Mahoko.
Police went to the scene after a report was made at ZRP Mberengwa and found Mchede unresponsive. A blood-stained farm brick was recovered at the homestead and is believed to have been used in the attack.
Mchede’s body was taken to Mberengwa District Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem examination. Tshuma remains in custody as investigations continue.
Inspector Mahoko urged people facing domestic disputes to seek help before disagreements turn violent. “Members of the public are urged to resolve domestic disputes peacefully and to seek assistance from police, traditional leaders, or other relevant authorities before disagreements escalate into violence,” he said.
The Mberengwa killing is the latest in a series of fatal domestic incidents reported across Zimbabwe in 2026, several of which have involved wives attacking their husbands with knives, axes or other weapons during heated confrontations.
In Harare’s Highfield Western Triangle, a 46-year-old woman, Yona Mazenge, was arrested after her husband, Norest Nyamukusa, 44, died from a stab wound at the couple’s home. The incident took place on July 27 at about 11pm, after Nyamukusa returned home appearing drunk and accused his wife of infidelity.
A fist fight broke out between the two, and Mazenge allegedly stabbed Nyamukusa once on the right side of the chest with a kitchen knife. She called her daughter after the incident and took Nyamukusa to Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. His body was taken to the hospital mortuary for a post-mortem examination, while Mazenge faced a murder charge.
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the case and said: “Police arrested a Highfield woman for allegedly killing her husband in a domestic violence case.” He said the deceased fell to the ground and became unconscious after the stabbing.
A similar incident was reported in Matshetsheni Village, Gwanda, in August. Miriam Ndlovu, 63, was arrested after her 70-year-old husband, Harold Ngwenya, died when she allegedly struck him twice on the head with an axe.
The confrontation began when Ngwenya argued with his stepdaughter, Happiness Ndlovu, who had accused him of being a witch. Police said Ngwenya struck Happiness above the left eye with the back of an axe. Miriam intervened to stop him from assaulting her daughter, overpowered him and took the weapon.
Ngwenya died at the scene after the two blows to his head. His body was taken to Gwanda Provincial Hospital mortuary, and Miriam was arrested. Matabeleland South acting provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Stanford Mguni urged members of the public to avoid violence and said dangerous weapons could quickly turn family disputes into fatal attacks.
Muduva, 42, was attacked by his wife, Lyliosa Chirara, 43, a nurse at Sally Mugabe Hospital. He suffered three deep cuts, with an axe found nearby. Chirara later took rat poison and died after being taken for medical treatment. The couple’s children were among those who discovered the aftermath of the attack in the bedroom.
The violence followed years of conflict linked to Muduva’s relationship with another woman. The relationship had produced a child, and the dispute intensified after Muduva paid lobola for the woman at the weekend. A photograph from the ceremony was posted on WhatsApp and was described by a family friend as a devastating moment for Chirara.
“She felt the pain and the situation escalated. The WhatsApp status provoked her and, although her husband later removed the status, the damage had already been done,” the friend said.
Another neighbour said Muduva had been at a local bar on the night before his death and left at around 11pm. One of the couple’s children later found him lying lifelessly in a pool of blood. Chirara was found with a rat-poison sachet nearby and was taken to a clinic before being referred to Parirenyatwa Hospital, where she died.
The deaths in Mberengwa, Highfield, Gwanda and Dzivarasekwa occurred in different circumstances, but each began with a dispute inside a home and ended with a fatal weapon being used. The incidents have also highlighted how quickly quarrels involving accusations, family tensions or physical confrontation can become deadly when no intervention comes in time.
In Mberengwa, the investigation now centres on the events that unfolded at the homestead shortly before midnight and the blood-stained brick recovered by police. Mchede’s relatives are left to prepare for his funeral while Tshuma remains in custody over the death of her husband.
Police have again urged couples and families experiencing conflict to seek assistance from officers, traditional leaders, relatives or other responsible authorities before violence breaks out. “Members of the public are urged to resolve domestic disputes peacefully,” Inspector Mahoko said, warning that intervention before a confrontation escalates can prevent the loss of life.