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Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) Director, Tonderai Luwisi, who confessed to stabbing to death his wife, Pellegia Muligwi, has been slammed 20 years imprisionment by the Lusaka High Court.
Luwisi, 45, in his defence said he acted out of provocation after he was told he was not the father of their two children, aged 9 and 17.
But Pellagia’s mother, Pastor Patricia Muligwi, who broke down said she was disappointed with the verdict.
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She said her son-in-law, now a convict, was not only abusive but a serial womaniser, the reason why her daughter moved out of their matrimonial home.
“Tondi should tell the truth, he killed my daughter. He always threatened to kill her if she divorced him. He was a womaniser and my daughter said ‘I have forgiven you but remain with your women.’ Yet he still followed her and killed her,” she said.
Pastor Patricia said she had forgiven her son-in-law but he deserved a stiffer punishment although it would not bring back her daughter.
In this matter, Luwisi, a Zimbabwean national, auditor and director at the International auditing company was charged with one count of murder of his 38-year-old wife.
High Court Judge, Bonaventure Mbewe, in his judgement rendered on Tuesday, found Luwisi guilty of killing his wife by stabbing her several times.
Justice Mbewe dismissed the defence of provocation and a plea for acquittal saying the Prosecution had adduced enough evidence that he indeed murdered his wife.
He said apart from his oral confession in court,the convict in his WhatsApp messages to his 17-year-old son did state that he killed the woman.
Part of the message to his son read,”Sorry I had to kill your mother because she was rude, stubborn and unappreciative. She had forgotten how she arrived here in Zambia and found herself at British Council”.
Justice Mbewe said Luwisi failed to give clear sequence of the happenings of December 10, 2022, how he left his wife and injured daughter and drove to PwC offices along Thabo Mbeki road.
He was satisfied that there were elements of malice in the convict’s actions.
“The accused did not challenge the testimony that he had extra martial affair which led to the deceased moving out of their matrimonial home and also that he always threatened to kill the wife,” he said.
Judge Mbewe said Luwisi was a man brewing jealous, insecurity and discontentment leading to the murder of his wife.
He added the accused did not challenge the testimony that he had extra martial affairs which led to Pellegia moving out of their matrimonial home in Foxdale to Jesmodine and also that he always threatened to kill her.
“The accused reaction was excessive and not proportional to provocation. He had a chance to walk away until his wife’s temper had cooled down or even ran away when she attacked,” he said.
Justice Mbewe said he was hopeful the 20 years stay in prison will teach Luwisi a lesson to use dialogue as a means of resolving issues.
In his defence testimony, Luwisi said he was angered by the revelation that he was not the father of their children.
“My wife told me that the two children are not mine, I wasn’t their father, I can’t give birth to such beautiful children, I was nothing, I was useless and she is taking the children away from me. I was shocked and confused with what my wife was telling me. I never expected such from her. The deception, the betrayal and the insensitiveness,” he stated.
“At that moment, my wife took away the pride in me as a father, husband and family man. I felt deceived, betrayed and belittled by my wife of almost 18 years. I was very angry, I was furious, I was heartbroken. Then I asked my wife, why now? Who is the father of the children and where is he?
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