A horrific tragedy has unfolded in Bulawayo’s Cowdray Park suburb, where a 34-year-old woman, Happiness Chimbangu, allegedly murdered her husband and their two young children. The shocking incident occurred on Thursday, leaving the community reeling.
According to Bulawayo deputy police provincial spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, the victims have been identified as Edwin Chimbangu, 35, their 4-year-old daughter, Promise Chimbangu, and their 7-month-old baby.
The motive appears to be linked to the family’s dire financial situation. Police reports indicate that Happiness Chimbangu visited her mother earlier in the day, expressing deep concerns about the family’s “abject poverty” and claiming her husband was not providing adequately. She returned to her mother’s home later that afternoon, even more distressed, and ominously stated that her mother should take care of her children because she intended to kill herself.
Later that night, Edwin Chimbangu contacted his mother-in-law, concerned about his wife’s suicidal ideations. The mother, accompanied by two church members, went to the couple’s home and provided counseling to Happiness, who confessed her suicidal thoughts. After the counseling session, the group left the house around 1 AM on January 30, 2025.
Tragically, just two hours later, the mother received a call from a church member living nearby. Happiness had gone to this individual’s home, confessing that she had killed her family.
Upon arriving at the scene, police discovered the lifeless bodies of Edwin Chimbangu on the bed, with severe cuts to his ear, neck, cheek, and near his eye. His 4-year-old daughter, Promise, lay on a mattress with a deep cut on her back shoulder and multiple head wounds. The infant was also found dead on the bed with the father, bearing deep cuts to the head and cheek.
A blood-stained metal digger, believed to be the murder weapon, was found near the door. Happiness Chimbangu’s blue dress also had blood stains. The bodies were taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) for postmortem examinations. The police investigation is ongoing, seeking to fully understand the circumstances that led to this devastating event.
