A 45-year-old man from Nkayi will spend the rest of his life behind bars after murdering his former girlfriend.
The High Court in Hwange sentenced him to life imprisonment for the killing. He also received five years for attempting to murder a 72-year-old man.
Both sentences will run consecutively, following the separate knife attacks.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the offender murdered Princess Janet Ncube after she ended their relationship.
The couple had previously lived together in South Africa, where Ncube reportedly endured an abusive relationship.
She eventually returned to Nkayi in December 2025, hoping to escape the violence.
Ncube worked as a cook at Inkisela Lodges before settling at her mother’s homestead.
Her family lived in Mbondweni Village, under Chief Tshugulu.
However, her former partner refused to accept the separation and continued pursuing her.
Prosecutors told the court that he repeatedly demanded reconciliation. He also threatened to kill Ncube and her relatives when she rejected him.
The offender reportedly documented his intentions in a six-page handwritten letter. He later travelled to Nkayi and began tracking Ncube and her family.
Nkayi man launches deadly knife attack on former girlfriend
The situation turned deadly on 28 January 2026, when the offender confronted Ncube.
At approximately 8 pm, she left Inkisela Lodges alongside her new boyfriend.
Her former partner intercepted them and threatened the man accompanying her.
Fearing for his safety, the new boyfriend fled the scene.
The offender then seized Ncube and dragged her towards the nearby ZESA Nkayi offices.
There, he attacked her repeatedly with a knife, inflicting 13 stab wounds.
Ncube died at the scene from her injuries.
However, the violence did not end with her murder.
Elderly man survives second knife attack
Approximately 30 minutes later, the offender launched another attack near Junction Down Stores.
This time, his victim was a 72-year-old man.
He stabbed the elderly man once in the back using the same knife.
Fortunately, the victim survived and received treatment at Nkayi District Hospital.
Police subsequently investigated the two attacks and arrested the suspect.
During their investigations, detectives recovered a blood-stained Okapi knife believed to have been used in both incidents.
They also recovered the six-page handwritten letter outlining the offender’s intentions.
The evidence helped establish the circumstances surrounding the brutal attacks, resulting in the lengthy prison sentences.
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