BULAWAYO- A 34-year-old Bulilima man who brutally murdered his wife with a hammer and a pick handle after accusing her of attempting to lace his porridge with poison has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Honest Nkomo, of the Khame area in Bulilima District, Matabeleland South, was convicted of murder by Justice Ngoni Nduna of the Bulawayo High Court.
The conviction and subsequent sentencing stem from a horrific domestic incident that took place on July 16, 2024, which left his 27-year-old wife, Milikani Moyo, dead at the scene.
The state, led by prosecutor Wisdom Shava proved that on the fateful day, Nkomo returned home and allegedly caught Moyo sprinkling an unidentified powder into a plate of porridge she had prepared for him.
A heated dispute erupted when Nkomo ordered his wife to eat the porridge first to prove it was safe, a demand she flatly refused.
The court heard that the altercation quickly turned violent when Nkomo picked up a hammer and struck Moyo on the head. He then grabbed a pick handle, driving the tool deeper into her skull and inflicting catastrophic, fatal injuries.
Following the savage assault, Nkomo left the blood-soaked scene and walked to a nearby homestead to inform his aunt of the killing. The matter was immediately reported to the police at Madlambudzi, leading to his swift arrest.
During the trial, the state produced the blood-stained hammer and pick handle as physical exhibits, alongside a post-mortem report compiled by forensic pathologist Dr. Sanganai Pesanai, which confirmed that Moyo succumbed to severe head trauma.
The prosecution called several key witnesses to the stand, including local villagers Zakhe Sibanda, Fanton Ndebele, Lethiwe Ncube, Rebecca Mpofu, and Sipho Ndlovu, as well as the investigating officer, Sergeant Brain Kombore.
Matabeleland South police at the time of the incident lamented the rising tide of fatal domestic disputes in the province.
