Staff ReporterIn a deeply troubling incident, a woman in Bikita District reportedly forced her three children to consume poison before taking her own life, following a domestic dispute with her husband. Persistence Mazhe, aged 31, is alleged to have forced her children, aged nine, seven, and three, to ingest a toxic substance after an argument with her husband, Joas Taramusha.
According to Taramusha, Mazhe informed him via phone that she was travelling to their rural home in Gutu’s Zinhata area with the intention of ending her life. “She called me again a few hours later and reiterated her plan,” Taramusha recounted. “She purchased a pesticide and forced our children to drink it before ingesting it herself.”
The oldest child tragically died upon arrival at Silveira Mission Hospital, while the two younger siblings were admitted for medical care. The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in Masvingo Province has yet to provide an official statement, but Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa acknowledged awareness of the incident.
The community remains in shock as investigators work to understand the full circumstances surrounding the deaths. Local authorities continue to provide support to the family as they navigate this devastating tragedy.
