By Rex Mphisa
THERE is no clue pointing towards the decision by Beitbridge businessman Farai Prosper Longwe popularly known as “Fatso or Mr Grocery” to kill his wife Nyasha Madenyika Wednesday night before taking his own life with the same murder weapon.
Several Beitbridge residents have however questioned why his firearm had not been withdrawn considering he at one time appeared mentally infirm.
Fatso is known to have been treated for mental imbalance and exhibited traits of being cheeky and was gun-happy and would easily threaten people with his gun.
This reporter is witness.
Apart from a bloody room, where journalists had no access to, no other leads show why Fatso chose that path or what may have led him.
While he is said to have been in a short, his wife he must have killed first was stark naked.
According to sources who attended the scene, the room was bloody and the smell of death all around it.
“Noone really has information because the two were in their room when it happened. A total of four shots were fired with the last believed to have been the suicidal,” said the source.
The two were tenants at a house occupied by other tenants.
“One of the tenants overheard the wife asking what her fault was. She is said to have asked him ‘ko ini ndaita sei?(what have i done wrong?’ Then she was heard again saying ‘OK, ndagara pasi (I have sat down)’ to which he responded ‘its too late’,” said the source.
“Those words were said after the first two shots. A third shot was heard and then there was movement and someone who unlocked the door then a fourth shot was heard,” said the source who was among the police who interviewed Fatso’s fellow tenants.
It is suspected he first unlocked the door before opening fire on himself. This was perhaps to make it easy for people to access the room after their demise.
And apart from that little information, Fatso is known to have fallen on a hard patch after running a string of successful groceries outlets and one of the pioneers of that fast business in the border town of Beitbridge.
From several shops, he only had one left and was said to have been in debt.
He was also known a a jealousy husband who easily would touch his gun if he felt someone had been too close to his wife.
Having been a victim of armed robbery, Fatso is said to have been over cautious and was easily irritable and gun-happy.
A contributor in a WhatsApp discussion on his death said he pointed a gun at them for “driving behind him for some time” when they were going in the same direction.
Fatso threatened this journalist with his firearm after being asked on the fairness of his exchange rate at one of his Mashakada shops.
“When he got mentally disturbed, his firearm should have been withdrawn. It was carelessness of the authorities. From his behaviour he was not supposed to be near guns,” said one Beitbridge resident.
Several other Beitbridge residents echoed the same sentiments.
In Zimbabwe, persons prohibited from owning guns include children under the age of 16 and anyone the Controller of Firearms has reason to believe is unfitted to be entrusted with a firearm, such as those of unsound mind, with intemperate habits, or having a history making them a risk to others.
Additionally, possession requires a valid firearm certificate, and the purchase or possession of automatic weapons, certain semi-automatic firearms, and specific noxious liquid-discharging weapons are illegal for most citizens.