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Man hacks wife to death over new bed

TRAGIC: Police cut Phineas Mavhulavhula's body loose from the tree where he had hanged himself after allegedly hacking his wife to death. photo: Elmon Tshikhudo. © Sowetan.
TRAGIC: Police cut Phineas Mavhulavhula's body loose from the tree where he had hanged himself after allegedly hacking his wife to death. photo: Elmon Tshikhudo. © Sowetan.

Alex Matlala

A Limpopo man went berserk and hacked his wife of 14 years to death with a panga after she allegedly refused him the right to sleep on a newly-bought bed.

The body of the woman was discovered yesterday morning in a pool of blood.

The incident, which has sent shockwaves through the province, allegedly took place on Saturday night at Muraga village outside Thohoyandou.

The man's body was later found hanging from a tree in the bushes a few hours after the incident.

The couple was identified as Phineas Mavhulavhula, 55 and his wife Florence.

Thohoyandou police spokesman Inspector Nkanukeni Raedani said the couple was allegedly involved in a protracted argument over a new bed before things came to a head.

"The rift emerged after the new bed was delivered to the couple's house last week.

"Florence allegedly refused Phineas Mavhulavhula use of the bed and a fight ensued.

"Mavhulavhula allegedly grabbed a panga and beat Florence several times over the head and neck," Raedani said.

"The couple's child, who was sleeping in the same house, escaped and woke up her brother in another house. She told him she had seen blood on the floor where her mother was sleeping.

"When he went into the house, he found their mother already dead, while their father was nowhere to be seen.

"The panga that was used to hack her was found lying on the floor next to the body."

The couple's firstborn son Lucky, 21, described the relationship between his parents as violent.

He said his father was always arguing with his mother.

He said on the eve of the tragic incident his mother was arguing with his father.

"But I could not hear what they were arguing about," he said. "I took it lightly because nothing ever came out of their rows.

"They would argue the whole night but in the morning they would talk and laugh as if nothing had happened the previous night."

The police launched a massive manhunt for Mavhulavhula until they found his lifeless body hanging from a tree near the Luvhuvhu River, about 12km from the village.

A murder and inquest docket has since been opened.

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