Walter Mswazie recently in Masangula, Mwenezi—
THE five people who died in Mwenezi’s Masangula area on Wednesday after eating food suspected to be laced with poison were victims of jealousy in a polygamous marriage, it has emerged. Sylvia, 7, and Beauty Baloyi, 4, Tafadzwa, 7, and Takudzwa Pote, 4, and an aunt to the Baloyi family, Esther Kunguli, 70, of Village 7, Masangula under Chief Chitanga allegedly consumed milk laced with a cotton pesticide.
One of the three wives, Makanani Lisimati, 61, disappeared soon after news of the deaths spread and is still at large. It could not be ascertained yesterday if police are seeking her as a suspect.
Family members said burial has been scheduled for tomorrow. The Pote siblings’ mother, Marita Zavirima, 35, and her mother, Felina Lisimati, 69, survived after taking an antidote concocted from cow dung, which was prepared by a neighbour, Tauya Zinhaka.
It has emerged that a week prior to the tragedy the polygamous Musuteri Dhambarara’s two senior wives, Makanani Lisimati and Tikomunyi Mapanyi, 32, were accused of lacing milk with cotton pesticide and trying to poison Zavirima, the third wife. She survived after she was alerted of the plot.
Makanani Lisimati and Mapanyi are said to be jealous of Zavirima who is apparently getting all the attention from Dhambarara, 59.
Peter Tsutsumani Baloyi, 49, the father of the late Baloyi siblings, who is also Zavirima’s brother, told Chronicle how the reportedly jealous women made an attempt on his sister’s life.
“On Wednesday last week we received a report that an attempt was made to kill Marita when milk meant for her was laced with poison.
“God saved her after Lisimati’s daughter-in-law played whistleblower. The milk was later thrown away but surprisingly Dhambarara ignored the incident,” said Baloyi.
“My sister remains a trouble causer in this polygamous marriage and she is responsible for all this tragedy. She is the one who dated Dhambarara but she is not even helping her counterparts in the fields neither is she helping in herding cattle yet she expects to get milk every day.
“The first two wives are the ones taking turns to herd and pen cattle while Zavirima spends quality time with Dhambarara doing nothing,” he said. A neighbour, Fazo Zinhaka, said there is a deep-rooted hatred among the three wives. Violet Dumela, 46, the late Baloyi siblings’ mother said she was in indescribable pain after losing her children “in a cruel manner.”
Zavirima is said to have gone to the main homestead in Village 6 with an empty two-litre container for milk. She allegedly left it in Makanani Lisimati’s bedroom. At around 11AM, Dhambarara milked his cows and shared the milk among his wives.
“Upon her return Zavirima collected the milk and gave the first wife, Makanani to share among the three,” said a source. Zavirima later returned to her homestead in Village 7 where she mixed dried vegetables with the milk since she had no cooking oil.
“She served the food to eight people at around 7 PM. One of the children however, refused to eat the relish while Dhambarara who had arrived also refused saying he had eaten at his main homestead.”
“A few minutes after eating the food, the seven started complaining of stomach pains and they were trembling. “Within ten minutes Beauty, Slyvia, Takudzwa, Tafadzwa and Kunguli died. Zavirima and Felina Lisimati survived after drinking a cow dung concoction,” said a family member.
Tauya Zinhaka took the milk and gave it to a dog which also died within a few minutes. The bodies were taken to Chiredzi Hospital mortuary for post-mortem.