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Elisha Murimba and his wife Victoria in happier times

Liberty Dube Mutare Bureau
RELATIVES of Elisha Murimba, who last week brutally killed his wife Victoria in cold blood in New Bordervale, have described him as a kind and jovial man who was always at peace with everyone. Elisha, who slit Victoria’s throat and left her body in a blood-soaked bed before vanishing, later committed suicide in Cecil Kop Nature Reserve, which is a stone’s throw from the couple’s home.

His decomposing body was on Sunday morning found hanging from a tree branch.

Illegal migrants who were crossing into Mozambique discovered the body and alerted the family.

The relatives revealed to The Herald yesterday that Elisha was now bankrupt and was residing in South Africa before deciding to come back home.

Before leaving the country about 20 years ago, he was employed by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. He is reported to have contributed in the development of the family house.

“The couple were so prayerful and were devout United Methodist Church members before Elisha went to the United States of America,” said Elisha’s sister, Mrs Lucia Gwaunza.

“Victoria once approached me to accompany her to Nigeria and South Africa after she learnt that Elisha was wallowing in poverty. She was concerned that Elisha was living in poverty.

“She wanted to come back home with him. I could not go because I had so many commitments here. She, however, visited him. This gave us an impression that all was well between the couple and that they loved each other.

“Before he left for the Diaspora, they were leading a decent life at this house. We grew up together. He was a peace-loving man who was always jovial. This incident shocked us as a family.”

“We are still to come to terms with the tragedy. We never met when he came back. I was yet to see him,” said the dejected Lucia, who resides in Masvingo.

She added that they were yet to finalise Elisha’s burial arrangements since his body was at Mutare Provincial Hospital mortuary awaiting post-mortem.

What prompted Elisha to kill Victoria is still shrouded in mystery.

To some, the blood-chilling murder was a premeditated act, while to some it was driven by jealousy of the hard-working woman’s success.

Elisha is alleged to have said he was seeing darkness upon his return home.

However, to his nephew, Clibert, he was a loving father figure.

“He was a nice person. He was our father. We are still confused. We always looked up to him as someone who was caring,” he said.

One of the deceased couple’s daughters could not divulge more information saying she would seek permission from her uncles first.

“I can’t say anything to you. I can only talk to you when my uncles give me permission to do so,” she said.