A 37-year-old Chipinge man, Kufakwevantu Chirigo, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempted murder after a violent domestic dispute spiraled into tragedy.
The court heard that Chirigo, intoxicated at the time, argued with his sister, demanding she return to her marital home with her children. The heated exchange turned violent when he attacked her with a spanner, striking her hands repeatedly. Fleeing for safety, she locked herself in a hut, but Chirigo smashed a window in an attempt to break in.
She managed to escape to another brother’s house 50 meters away, but Chirigo caught up with her. He struck her on the neck and fatally attacked her 18-month-old infant, who was strapped to her back, with a machete. Chirigo then continued to slash her indiscriminately, leaving her with severe cuts on her wrists as she tried to fend off the blows.
While Chirigo has been sentenced to a decade behind bars for the attempted murder, he is still awaiting trial in the High Court for the murder of the infant.
