Man kills wife over contraceptives

Trust Freddy-Herald Correspondent

A Chipinge man has been charged with murder for allegedly fatally assaulting his wife with an iron bar and hammering a nail into her chest, reportedly in a fit of rage upon discovering that she was using birth control pills without his knowledge.

Felix Maphosa (29) of Gaza E, Chipinge appeared before the Chipinge Magistrates’ Court on Monday facing murder charges.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority, the incident occurred on New Year’s Eve.

It is alleged that on December 31, 2024, a domestic dispute erupted between the accused and his wife after he discovered that she had been taking birth control pills without his knowledge.

The altercation allegedly escalated, resulting in the accused person striking the deceased on the head three times with an iron bar.

Furthermore, it is alleged that he used a hammer to drive a nail into the deceased’s chest.

Maphosa subsequently left the scene and went to a beer hall, only to return the following morning to find his wife dead. 

He was remanded in custody until January 17, 2025, and was advised to apply for bail at the High Court.