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INYANGA MURDER: I WAS SUBJECTED TO ABUSE - WIFE

30/03/2023 09:07:00 Kwanele Dlamini

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MBABANE – The inyanga’s wife, who has been arrested for his murder, says there was never a pleasant moment in their marriage.

Nonhlanhla Matsenjwa (45) of Mpolonjeni in Mbabane, is currently in custody together with her brother, Bhekithemba Matsenjwa (46) of New Mbuluzi, and her 22-year-old niece, who is a pupil. The trio is facing a charge of murder. They are alleged to have killed the traditional healer, Malungisa Dumisani Dlamini, who was known as ‘Bayamzonda Bathakathi’, on March 11, 2023. They were arrested last Friday. They have filed applications for bail. Nonhlanhla submitted in her application that the reality of her plight was bewildering and had left her appalled.

Married

She informed the court that over the years, immediately after she and Malungisa got married according to Eswatini Law and Custom, she was subjected to emotional, physical and psychological abuse at the hands of her husband. She said her brother, who is the second accused, was not spared from her husband’s alleged violence and unbecoming behaviour towards her. “There has never been a pleasant moment during the lifetime of my deceased husband in our marriage. I even contemplated advising my family to not accept the lobola as a result of the abuse. “However, I was advised that being smeared with red ochre signified a valid marriage. The violent acts I was subjected to by the deceased ranged from being assaulted with various weapons, ranging from sjambok, axe, blunt objects, iron rods, fists, kicks, open hands, bricks, sticks and everything else that my deceased husband would stumble upon whenever he wanted to assault me,” she submitted. The veracity of these allegations is still to be tested in court. Nonhlanhla and her co-accused are represented by Linda Dlamini of Linda Dlamini and Associated. According to Nonhlanhla, things got worse when he eventually paid lobola for her. She alleged that Malungisa informed her that he owned her. The accused said he told her that he could do as he pleased and no one would dare interfere with his wife and family. “He perceived me as his object. I was threatened with death in the event I reported to anyone what he was doing to me. He was also quick to report to our respective families whenever he had assaulted me.

“May I relate one incident where he threatened to shoot me. He cocked the gun and pointed it at me, saying I was disrespectful to him. When I enquired as to how, he told me that I should chase my children away from the homestead I had built for them and also go to the royal kraal and change the surname for the homestead to be addressed as kaDlamini and not kaMatsenjwa. I acquired this homestead without his assistance. I do not have children with the deceased. However, I have children outside our marriage, who were born before I got married to the deceased, and so does he,” Nonhlanhla submitted. She stated that her children were not spared from her husband’s alleged violence, as he would repeatedly tell them to go away from the homestead she had built for them at Mpolonjeni, as they were not Dlaminis.

Concentrate

“He would tell them that I am now married and should concentrate on him and forget about them. The above history of violence I was subjected to by the deceased is not exhaustive,” she alleged. She attached to her bail application pictures of herself after she had been allegedly assaulted by her husband. According to Nonhlanhla, on March 11, 2023, she was involved in a scuffle with Malungisa over an allegation that she had laced his traditional medicine/concoction (imbita) with poison. She alleged that Malungisa assaulted her and threatened to shoot and kill her. She alleged that her husband forced her to admit to spiking his concoction with poison, but she refused as she had nothing to do with it. Nonhlanhla said she advised him that the only logical thing to do under the circumstances was to take him to the hospital for treatment for the discomfort in his stomach due to the concoction he had drunk. Since it was dark, said Nonhlanhla, she tried to call her brother, Bhekithemba, to accompany her to hospital but he was asleep.

“I had to go and wake him up physically at my other homestead, which is occupied by my children. I could not have taken the deceased to hospital alone, given the fact that despite him having agreed that I take him to hospital, he was still insulting me and perpetuating his threats that he will kill me. I was afraid,” she said. Nonhlanhla informed the court that certain members of the community were present when Malungisa boarded the motor vehicle to hospital. She submitted that along the way, Malungisa ordered her to drive to Sidwashini to pick certain herbs which would assist him as he believed that traditional medicine was superior to western medication.

Strangled

“I obliged in fear for my life and drove to Sidwashini. Upon arrival at this place, the deceased assaulted me with fists and kicks again, accosted and strangled me. My brother pleaded with him to stop what he was doing and get his herbs, which he had said he wanted to get or else we will not proceed to the hospital. “He told him that I was his wife and no one would tell him how to treat his wife and further told him that he shouldn’t be here in the first place. I was stunned as to where he drew the strength of fighting and assaulting me and my brother as I honestly thought he was sick,” said Nonhlanhla. She informed the court that the violence and assault escalated to an extent where Malungisa ordered her to proceed to another place in town, stating that Sidwashini no longer had the herbs he wanted. She said she drove to town where upon parking the vehicle, he allegedly strangled her. When her brother tried to reason with him to stop what he was doing as he might kill her (Nonhlanhla), he allegedly did not listen. Nonhlanhla said her brother then grabbed Malungisa and tried to remove him from her and she managed to alight from the vehicle. “All hell then broke loose. It was a pandemonium. My husband continued assaulting me together with my brother. He proceeded to strangle me and that is when my brother came to my rescue as I was unable to speak.

Attacked

“However, the deceased wouldn’t let go of me. My brother was not spared from the assault as the deceased attacked him as well and assaulted him with a blunt object. It was a fight and we retaliated. In the midst of the fighting and strangling, unbeknown to me, the deceased was lying down.” Nonhlanhla said, since her husband was no longer responsive, she tried to communicate with him but he did not respond. She stated that she realised that he might have passed out and they rushed him to hospital. “Unfortunately, it transpired that he had died.”
She submitted that they were under attack and Malungisa was bound to kill her as he repeatedly told her that he would do so. Nonhlanhla said her reaction to the assault was on a spur of the moment and nothing suggested that she intended to kill him. She said she was unaware that he would die. The matter will be heard today by Judge Sabelo Masuku.