A 29-year-old Harare man appeared in court yesterday accused of stabbing his girlfriend and her boyfriend after he found them sleeping together in his house, after lula lula.
Blessing Matsvai was charged with attempted murder and appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Apollonia Marutya. He was remanded in custody until today for pre-recording.
The court heard that on August 4, Linda Moyo was fast asleep in the company of Takunda Chitope at House Number 28 Rayham Street, Eastlea, Harare. Matsvai entered the house and found the couple asleep.
He then stabbed Moyo once between the left collar bones with a kitchen knife. He then turned his anger on Chitope, stabbing him once between the right collar bone and once below the right ear before fleeing the scene.
A formal police report was made and Matsvai was arrested and detained. Moyo was medically treated and a medical report compiled, which indicated that she sustained a deep cut between left collar bones due to the assault.
The State may produce, as exhibit, a medical report and the knife used to stab Moyo.
The stabbing incident is just one example of the many cases of domestic violence that occur in Zimbabwe. According to a 2019 study by the Zimbabwe Women’s Resource Centre Network, one in three women in Zimbabwe has experienced some form of domestic violence.
The study also found that women are more likely to be victims of domestic violence if they are unemployed, have low levels of education, or live in rural areas.
The Zimbabwean government has taken steps to address domestic violence, including enacting the Domestic Violence Act. This Act provides for the protection of victims of domestic violence and the prosecution of perpetrators.
