Nkayi man jailed life imprisonment for 13-Stab murder of ex-lover

A 45-year-old man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after a horrific campaign of obsessive violence culminated in him butchering his ex-lover in a frenzied knife attack, stabbing her 13 times after she tried to escape him.

Sicelinkosi Masuku, of Zinyangeni Village under Chief Nkalakatha in Nkayi, was handed a life sentence by the High Court of Zimbabwe sitting in Hwange this week for the brutal murder of Princess Janet Ncube.

He was also sentenced to five years for a separate stabbing that occurred moments later.

The court heard how the victim, a cook at Inkisela Lodges, had desperately tried to flee an abusive relationship.

She escaped South Africa on 17 December 2025, seeking refuge at her mother’s homestead in Nkayi.

However, Masuku refused to let her go. His pursuit was chillingly calculated and documented.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said Masuku threatened to kill her and her family, authored a six-page handwritten note outlining his intentions, and travelled to Nkayi, where he stalked her and her relatives.

The terrifying prophecy came true on 28 January 2026, at approximately 2000 hours.

Masuku ambushed Ncube as she was leaving work with her new boyfriend.

“After threatening the boyfriend and forcing him to flee, Masuku dragged Ncube towards the ZESA Nkayi offices, where he stabbed her 13 times.” She died at the scene.

The bloodshed did not end there. Just 30 minutes later, the deranged attacker struck again near Junction Down Stores.

“The offender attacked a 72-year-old man near Junction Down Stores, stabbing him once in the back with the same knife.”

The elderly victim survived and was treated at Nkayi District Hospital.

Police investigations swiftly led to Masuku’s arrest, and officers recovered both the blood-stained Okapi knife used in the attacks and the handwritten note.

The court ensured Masuku faces harsh consequences, ordering his five-year sentence for the attempted murder to run consecutively with his life imprisonment.

In a related incident,
two men will spend decades behind bars after a terrifying robbery at a cemetery escalated into a gruesome murder and attempted rape, earning them a combined 75-year jail sentence.

The Bulawayo High Court handed down the heavy sentences this week.

Kholisani Nyathi (28) of Mabutweni was slapped with 40 years’ imprisonment, while Walter Mpunzi (29) of Lobengula West received 35 years for the murder of a 54-year-old man and the attempted murder and rape of his wife.

The nightmare unfolded on 12 May 2021, at approximately 1720 hours. The couple was walking along a footpath through Pelandaba Cemetery when they were ambushed by the two armed predators, who were wielding an axe, a knobkerrie and a knife.

When the couple revealed they only had a torch to give, the robbers flew into a murderous rage.

“When the couple explained that they only had a torch, the attackers became violent and assaulted them,” said NPA.

“The deceased was struck on the head with an axe, sustaining a deep cut, and was stabbed several times under his left armpit and on his back.”

While one attacker restrained and searched the dying man for the torch, the other dragged the man’s wife into the dark bushes.

“His accomplice dragged the wife into nearby bushes, stabbed her in the back and attempted to rape her,” stated NPA.

The attacker then whistled to signal his partner, and the two fled the scene.

The traumatized wife managed to find help from neighbours, but her husband was pronounced dead on arrival at Mpilo Hospital.

Police investigations eventually led to the arrest and conviction of both men. Nyathi was sentenced to 40 years for murder, attempted murder, and attempted rape, while Mpunzi received 35 years for murder and attempted murder.