Man jailed for axe attack on ex- wife

Lower Gweru man jailed for axe attack on ex-wife

By Talent Kapita

GWERU – A 45-year-old man from Tende Village, Chief Bunina, Lower Gweru, has been jailed for seven years after he was convicted of attempting to kill his ex-wife with an axe during a violent confrontation.

Nkosilathi Magigwani appeared before Gweru Regional Magistrate Christopher Maturure facing charges of attempted murder. Although he denied the allegations, he was convicted after a full trial.

Court papers revealed that the accused went to the complainant’s homestead in a bid to lure her to his place, as they used to do during their relationship, but the complainant refused. After she rejected his plea for reconciliation, Magigwani left briefly and returned from the sitting room carrying a small axe, threatening to kill her.

The State alleged that it was then that Magigwani attacked 48-year-old Siluzile Tshabalala.

Upon cross-examination led by prosecutor Sibangani Dube, it emerged that on July 7, 2025, at around 5:30 pm, at Manthosi homestead in Lower Gweru, an argument broke out when Magigwani tried to take Tshabalala’s mobile phone and she resisted.

He left the homestead, only to return moments later armed with the axe.

He threatened to kill Tshabalala before striking her once above the right eye, leaving her bleeding heavily.

Magigwani fled the scene with the weapon, while the injured woman was rushed to hospital, where a government medical officer confirmed her injuries.

The prosecution said the attack was unprovoked, unlawful, and carried out with extreme violence.

In sentencing, Magistrate Maturure described Magigwani’s conduct as “brutal and unjustified,” adding: “It was a deliberate and violent act.”

He further remarked: “The accused showed no regard for human life. What makes the case more aggravating is that when you struck her on the eye, you fled and left her to die. If convicted in aggravation, the law states a presumptive sentence of five years, and where one is convicted in mitigatory, it carries a presumptive sentence of 24 months.”

Magistrate Maturure noted that the State had tendered a medical affidavit from a government medical expert at Gweru Provincial Hospital, which confirmed that the complainant suffered a laceration on her right forehead and a ruptured right eye.

“The injuries were very serious and severe. And the amount of force used was severe. In her victim impact statement, the complainant stated that she often experiences dizziness and a painful head. She lost an eye and can no longer see properly. She prayed the court could sentence him to 10 years in prison,” said Magistrate Maturure.

In passing sentence, the senior magistrate said that, considering the aggravation highlighted by the State, which outweighed the mitigatory factors, Magigwani deserved a term above the presumptive minimum.

He was sentenced to seven years in prison, with two years suspended on condition he does not commit a similar offence within the next five years.