28-year-old Newton Mthethwa allegedly set his mother-in-law’s hut on fire and brutally killed her with a machete.
This happened in Montrose Village in Insiza North, Zimbabwe on January 8, 2025.
According to police reports, Mthethwa set fire to the hut where his mother-in-law, 48-year-old Florence Msipha, was asleep. When Florence and her 13-year-old daughter managed to escape the burning hut, Mthethwa attacked Florence with a machete and inflicted fatal head injuries.
Relatives revealed that the suspect’s wife, Yvonne, had recently left him and returned to her rural home in Montrose Village. The couple had previously lived in Fairbridge, Bulawayo, before their separation.
Assistant Inspector Stanford Mguni, Acting Matabeleland South Provincial Police Spokesperson, confirmed the incident, stating, “The late Florence Msipha and her daughter realized their bedroom hut was on fire and managed to escape through the door. Upon exiting, they saw the suspect standing nearby, armed with a machete. He attacked Florence repeatedly, inflicting severe head injuries.”
Florence’s teenage daughter managed to escape the scene and alerted nearby residents, who quickly informed the police. However, Mthethwa had already fled the scene before authorities arrived. Florence was rushed to Filabusi District Hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival.
The motive behind the brutal killing remains unclear, and authorities are urging anyone with information on Mthethwa’s whereabouts to report to the nearest police station as investigations continue.
