In this episode of Behind Bars, Tilda Moyo speaks to former soldier convicted of killing his wife and her two sisters and injuring his son.
The suspect allegedly fired about 20 shots during a power outage caused by the rains, killing his three victims on the spot.
Carlos Chapeyama (25) and his wife lived in Mutare but she is alleged to have returned to her parents, accusing Chapeyama of physically abusing her.
The circumstances of the shootout are that a member of the ZNA, Private Chapeyama, had a long-standing dispute with his wife, the now-deceased Ashley Phiri.
“On the day in question, the ZNA member had been assigned night guard duties at the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation transmitter at Guinea Fowl, Gweru. He then finished his duty and sneaked out of the camp with his service rifle. He then travelled to Bulawayo with the AK47 folding butt rifle concealed in a bag. Pvt Chapeyama went straight to his in-laws’ house,” said Zimbabwe National Army Public Relations Director, Lieutenant Colonel Alphios Makotore then.
He said Chapeyama randomly opened fire on the three deceased sisters, killing them on the spot. Lt Col Makotore said the child who was also shot survived but sustained serious injuries.
“After the shooting, Chapenya tried to commit suicide by turning the rifle on himself but was seriously injured. The perpetrator, Pvt Chapeyama, is now detained under heavy Military Police guard at Mpilo Hospital. The child is admitted at the same hospital,” he said.
Tilda Moyo-Karizamimba is a Zimbabwean radio personality who is well known for tackling sensitive social issues. She made a name for herself at Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC)’s Radio Zimbabwe where she hosted a no-holds-barred Sunday morning talk show which touched on various social issues.
