A Guruve man is on the run after poisoning his girlfriend’s well and bucket of maize-meal after she greeted her ex-boyfriend.
Seven family members- five minors and two adults- ate the meal prepared by the poisoned mealie-meal and fortunately, survived.
Mashonaland Central Province police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Naison Ndliwayo confirmed the incident, which happened in Ng’andu village under Chief Bepura in Guruve.The complainant is Ms Nyarai Simbadaka (31) of Makumbe village in Guruve and the accused is her boyfriend, Tawanda Kupara.
Asst Insp Ndliwayo said on May 28 at around 7am, the couple was at Simbadaka’s homestead when her ex-boyfriend passed-by and she greeted him.
“This did not go down well with Kupara who threatened to kill his girlfriend. He went away and returned at around 5pm holding temic poison which he threatened to use to kill the complainant within three days,” said Ass Insp Ndliwayo.
“The following day at around 6am, one of complainant’s family members, Fungai Zhakata went to fetch water in a shallow well and she smelled poison. She alerted Simbadaka, who emptied the well.“On May 30, she went to sell sugarcane at Chigonera village leaving her homestead unattended. When she returned, she saw locks broken but nothing was stolen and she did not take it seriously. She prepared sadza and vegetables which she ate with all her family members.
“They vomited afterwards and experienced severe stomach pain. They discovered granules of rat poison in the bucket of mealie-meal and they went to Nyamhondoro Clinic.”
A report was then made to the police and the 10kg mealie-meal with suspected rat poison was taken to the police.
Asst Insp Ndliwayo said the police failed to locate Kupara and they are appealing to anyone with information that can lead to his arrest to come forward.
“As police we strongly condemn the barbaric behaviour shown by the accused. Killing people is not the solution to problems; we encourage people to dialogue peacefully,” he said.
