PROVERBS 6 v 29: “So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.” The Bible affirms that ad_ltery will not go unpunished, yet many men fall for it, or they missed this scripture during Sunday School, at least.
One person who appears to have missed or forgotten this verse is a Plumtree man from Matabeleland South province, who, however, has since d1ed, allegedly from injuries sustained in the att?ck from the woman’s husband. The court recently heard that a man from Mangwe in Matabeleland South province burnt his friend with a red hot dehorning iron several times on the thighs and buttocks after he found him sl??ping with his wife.
The woman’s husband, Thompson Tshuma, appeared before Bulawayo High Court Judge Justice Ngoni Nduna facing a charge of m_rder.
He was, however, convicted of culpable homicide after trial and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment which was wholly suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
In his defence, Tshuma indicated that he never intended to k?ll the victim, who was his friend.
“I am remorseful for my actions which were a result of the spur of the moment. I was angry when l caught my friend sl??ping with my wife and what worsened the whole incident is that my friend was well aware of his HIV status,” he said.
During the trial, the man’s wife admitted to having had an affair with the dec?ased.
“On the day in question at around 6 am, my husband left home saying that he was going to Matopo and would not return on the same day. At around 12 pm, l got a call from the deceas?d. We had a chat and he requested to come for a sl??pover since my husband was away. l agreed.
“The deceased arrived at my house at around 9 pm and we retired to bed. At around 10 pm, my husband returned home and knocked on the door. He entered the house and found his friend standing behind the door wearing boxers. The deceased was carrying a knobkerrie and my husband locked the door and put the keys in his pocket,” she said.
The woman’s husband asked the dec?ased to explain why he was in his bedroom with his wife, but he failed to justify his presence and the confrontation turned physical. Ncube indicated that this led to a scuffle and the dece?sed was overpowered by Tshuma.
“The deceased lifted his knobkerrie to att?ck Tshuma but he managed to hold it and they wrestled,” she said.
After overpowering his adversary, Tshuma retrieved a dehorning iron that was at the corner of their bedroom, went outside and locked the door, with the pair inside.
Tshuma proceeded to the fireplace, put the dehorning iron on the fire to heat it and went back to the bedroom.
He then burnt his wife’s lover with the dehorning iron once on the right leg, once on the right th@@gh, once on the humerus, once on top of the sternum, once on the left arm and once on his back.
After inflicting pain on the victim, he opened the door and the deceased drove to his home in Plumtree. When he arrived at his home, his condition worsened and he was referred to Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo.
He was hospitalised on 11 July and was discharged on 13 September but he remained bedridden at his home.
On 12 October , his condition deteriorated at night and he was taken to Plumtree District Hospital where he d1ed before being attended to by a doctor.
The matter was reported to the police and investigations were carried out leading to the arrest of Tshuma.
