A 30-year-old woman from Nketa 9 in Bulawayo died in unclear circumstances following a dispute with her husband.
The deceased has been identified as Precious Margaret Chando.
According to Bulawayo deputy police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, the deceased’s husband told police that on Thursday, he did not sleep at home.
When he returned the next morning, he and his wife had an argument, resulting in Chando slapping him. The husband said he retaliated by slapping her back.
Chando then threatened to kill herself, police said.
She took a cable and tried to hang herself, but her husband managed to take the cable away from her and tried to calm her down. He then sought help from a neighbour.
At around 3 pm in the afternoon, the husband went to collect their child from preschool. When he returned home, he found Chando lying on the carpet in their bedroom. He thought she was sleeping and did not disturb her.
An hour later, the husband checked on Chando and found that she was unresponsive. She had blood coming from her mouth. The husband informed his neighbour, who accompanied him to the police station to make a report.
Police attended the scene and took Chando’s body to the United Bulawayo Hospitals for a postmortem. Assistant Inspector Msebele urged members of the public to resolve their differences amicably instead of taking their lives.
She said that elders from families, churches, and residents’ associations can be helpful in resolving disputes.
