(Last Updated on October 5, 2021 by zimdaily)
BULAWAYO – A pastor from Nkulumane village in Bulawayo poisoned his two daughters before committing suicide in South Africa where the family was based.
Pastor Precocious Mpofu, 36, and his two daughters namely; Shalom (11) and Panashe (7) were laid to rest in Luveve Cemetery in Bulawayo on Saturday.
Mpofu is accused of forcing his two daughters to drink a drainage cleaning chemical before re- drinking it in Yeoville, Johannesburg.
The deceased, a pastor at the Eagle Life Assembly of Prophet Blessing Chiza and his wife, Ms Chido Chipangura, had recently separated but she was residing in South Africa.
A poor South African neighbor who traveled to Zimbabwe for a funeral described the pastor as a gentleman who was devoted to his wife and may have failed to accept rejection.
” The pastor was very kind and committed to his wife. He so much loved his children and his wife very much but it was a disgrace to the church when rumors surfaced that she, the wife was having an affair outside their marriage.
They were separated and we heard that she had moved on but he just couldn’ t accept the trauma and rumors being spread about them, ” said the neighbor, who refused to give out his name.
Chipangura family members said they would still accept the children’ s deaths.
” We are very sad right now as a family. We lost two children and we can’ t just stop shedding tears and mourning. We thank the family, friends and neighbors for their support during this time, ” a family representative told The Chronicle.
The late Pastor Mpofu allegedly left a murder note in which he said he was facing many problems, most of them in his marriage.
He also said there were people watching him and said four people shared their contact details.
Reverend Mpofu, however, did not give reasons why people were stalking him.
The deceased has now sent several messages to his family on the day of the tragedy although he did not state his intentions to kill his children and kill himself.
However, he gave an idea when directing how his property should be distributed.
” I am honestly informed that the residents of his flat saw him carrying each of her daughters on his shoulders and took them to their apartment at about 2PM. At 2: 40 PM he sent his sister here in Bulawayo a WhatsApp message telling her that one of his daughters, Shalom, had passed on. Just 10 minutes later, he sent another text message saying that his second daughter had also passed away. This astonished the sister, she then tried to call him to find out what he was really trying to say. “
She said that when she tried to text him, the messages were no longer being sent and the sister called Ms Chipangura and told her to go and check on her husband as he was texting her.
” Mrs Chipangura ran to the flat and found only three bodies. The children’ s bodies were lying on the bed between the blankets and Prococious’ s body on the floor” he said.
[scopperNews]