BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe— A Zimbabwean man has been sentenced to two life terms in prison for the brutal murder of his in-laws, whom he attacked with axes before setting their bodies on fire in a Plumtree village.
The High Court, sitting in Bulawayo, convicted Tafirei Ndlovu on two counts of murder committed under aggravating circumstances. Prosecutors said the April 14, 2022 killings were premeditated and involved gratuitous violence.
Ndlovu, acting with an accomplice identified as Kudzani Mathukuthu—who remains at large—killed his father-in-law, Xolani Mpofu, and his mother-in-law, Sibalungele Ncube. The couple was dragged into a kitchen hut after the attack and the structure was set alight.
The murders occurred around 2 a.m. and were witnessed by Ndlovu’s wife, Nomusa Nyoni, the daughter of the deceased. She had returned to her parents’ home in Zimbabwe from Botswana earlier that month, ending a 13-year marriage due to domestic problems.
On April 13, Ndlovu contacted Ncube under the pretense of reconciling with his estranged wife and her family. Instead, he arrived at night and carried out the killings. He then abducted Nyoni and forced her to cross back into Botswana illegally. She later alerted border patrol officers and reported the murders.
Ndlovu was arrested, but Mathukuthu escaped and remains on the run.
The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe said the case underscores the deadly consequences of unresolved domestic disputes and urged the public to report signs of domestic violence.
