POLICE launch manhunt for Bikita man who wife with a machete and killed his 12- year-old stepdaughter with the weapon

POLICE have launched a manhunt for a Bikita man who struck his wife with a machete and left her for dead and killed his 12- year-old stepdaughter with the weapon after accusing his wife of  infidelity.

Police said Crispen Mukozho of Mugorogodoi Village under Chief Mukanganwi attacked his family in the wee hours of Tuesday morning.

Villagers said he acted like he was possessed as he grabbed a machete and frenziedly struck his wife Ms Margaret Mutikizizi (39) repeatedly on the neck, chest and back.

Mukozho, they said, left his wife for dead and rushed into a bedroom hut where his stepdaughter was sleeping with her nine-year-old brother.

He allegedly struck the girl on the chest with the machete and she died on admission to Silveira Mission Hospital hours after the attack.

Acting Masvingo police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Kudakwashe Dehwa said the police had stepped up investigations.

He said the girl’s body is at the hospital mortuary awaiting a post-mortem while the mother is admitted to the same hospital where her condition is said to be critical.

“We’ve received a report of murder from Bikita where a man killed his stepdaughter after an argument with his wife,” said Asst Insp Dehwa.

He said on Monday at around 8:30 PM the family retired to bed.

Villagers said in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, Mukozho started accusing Ms Mutikizizi of infidelity saying he doubted he was the father of the couple’s son.

They said a heated argument that could be heard at neighbouring homesteads ensued.

They said the noise died down briefly before Mukozho attacked his wife.

Mr Rafael Moyo, from a nearby homestead, said Ms Mutikizizi sustained a broken right arm, deep cuts on the neck, back and chest.

He said the woman screamed for help thereby attracting the attention of the couple’s nine-year-old son who rushed to the scene only to find his mother lying in a pool of blood, groaning in pain.

Unfazed, he said, the emotionally charged Mukozho stormed into the children’s bedroom hut still armed with the machete.

“The girl who had remained sleeping screamed but Mukozho was undeterred and struck her on the chest.

“Sensing more danger, the girl fled but collapsed about 100 metres from the homestead.

“The boy rushed to inform a neighbour Mr Dambudzo Janyure (40) who came to the scene and found the victims in pools of blood but Mukozho had disappeared,” said Mr Moyo.  By walter Mswazie. source-chronicle