Nqobile Tshili and Thandeka Moyo Chronicle Reporters

A BULAWAYO woman allegedly stabbed her husband twice on the chest with a knife, doused the body with paraffin and burnt it beyond recognition to conceal the crime.

Lakela Sweswe (23) allegedly killed Anifa Mlauzi on June 8 at their home in Buena Vista suburb just after Rio hotel following a fight in which he accused her of infidelity.

She told investigators that she stayed with the body for two days before setting it on fire.

Sweswe allegedly went to live with her in-laws in Kensington suburb for close to three weeks after the incident.

She did not tell them she had killed their son, investigators said.

Police arrested her last Friday after a neighbour stumbled on Mlauzi’s remains while looking for chickens that had strayed to the couple’s home.

One of the neighbours, Mr Fedious Sibanda, said: “It’s shocking that a 23-year-old woman has the guts to brutally kill someone and stay with the body for days.”

Another neighbour Mrs Sipho Ncube said the couple always fought whenever Mlauzi came home drunk.

“The whole community knows that there would be a fight whenever he came home drunk. What is sad is that the couple has very young children. The other child is almost two-years-old while the other one is nine months old,” she said.

Sweswe’s friend, Mrs Charity Ndlovu, said Sweswe bade her goodbye after burning her husband’s body, but was mum on the gruesome killing.

“She didn’t seem disturbed when she left. She just told us that she was following her husband to his workplace in Nkayi. I didn’t suspect anything because her husband used to be out of the city for close to three weeks. There was nothing amiss with his absence. I thought she was following her husband,” said Mrs Ndlovu.

She blamed Mlauzi for the couple’s marital problems, saying he was very jealous and did not want to see his wife close to anyone.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango confirmed the murder calling on members of the public to desist from violence.

“I can confirm the arrest of a woman who allegedly killed her husband during a domestic dispute. We’re calling on members of the public to avoid engaging in violence when faced with problems,” said Insp Simango.

She said members of public should seek counselling from elders, community leaders, churches or the police to solve problems.

Meanwhile, Sweswe appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Ms Charity Maphosa facing a murder charge. She was not ask to plead and remanded in custody to July 20.