Vanhu vaipa kunze ukoš | A 9 year old boy Munyaradzi Shumba, from Chogi Farm in Chinhoyi was brutaIIy murder€d, and his private parts and intestines were taken, in what is suspected as a ritual murd€r.
THE gruesome murder of a nine-year-old boy, whose stomach was ripped apart with a sharp instrument, possibly a knife, and was also stabbed in the neck while his private parts were missing, has sent shockwaves at a farm near Chinhoyi.
Munyaradzi Shumba’s left hand was also severed during the savage attack. The incident happened at Chogi Farm, Inyathi, near Chinhoyi on Sunday. The boy was heading cattle when he was attacked and kiIIed.
Initial reports had suggested that the attack was provoked after the cattle, which Munyaradzi was heading, grazed a neighbour’s field. However, the brutaI nature of the attack, and the missing body parts, mean that the police investigations will look beyond a case of a possible punishment which went badly wrong.
Some of the villagers suspect that the case could be linked to some rituals. However, the true motive behind the gruesome murd€r will only be revealed after the police investigations are complete
What isn’t in dispute is that this shocking incident has shaken this usually quiet farm.
Mashonaland West Provincial Police spokesperson, Inspector Ian Kohwera, told H- Metro the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) officers have arrested Lloyd Gwenhere, 32, in connection with the murder.
Shumba’s mutilat€d body had severe injuries, including a ripped stomach, a neck which had been stabb€d and a severed left hand. His private parts were also missing. Inspector Kohwera said Gwenhere was allegedly seen assaulting Munyaradzi.
The incident occurred on Sunday. Earlier during the day, Munyaradzi helped his grandfather, Isaac Shumba (70), harvest some grains. He was then tasked with herding the cattle.
At around 4pm, his sister Vongai, (29), was sent to find him and bring the cattle back home. When she returned, Vongai said she had only located the cattle.
This sent panic within the family. When he did not return that evening, the villagers sent a search party to look for the missing boy. A neighbour, Tariro Kwangwari, informed the family that she had seen Gwenhere allegedly attacking Munyaradzi shortly before sunset.
“They found only his rags and a pool of blood at the assault site. The following morning, the search continued and Munyaradzi’s body was discovered hidden in the grass, which is about 15 metres from where he was attacked, leading to Gwenhere’s arrest,” said Kohwera.
He said that investigations were in full swing to determine if this case was linked to any ritual issues. Police in Mashonaland West are urging anyone with information related to the investigation to report to the nearest police station,” he said.
This tragic incident highlights the increase in ritual murd€rs, particularly of juveniles, in the area.
Herald Zim
