Murehwa ritual murder: Uncle was holding torch while killer herdsman cut off boy’s head

One of the suspects in the grisly ritual murder of a 7-year old Murehwa boy, Tapiwa Makore, has revealed that the victim’s uncle was holding a torch while he killed the boy by cutting off the head with a knife in the dead of the night.

Tafadzwa Shamba yesterday told detectives during an inspection in loco, in Murehwa’s Makore Village, that after committing the murder, he carried a black plastic bag containing the head and the dismembered body while his employer, who is the boy’s uncle, Tapiwa Makore (Senior), carried another bag containing the arms and legs.

Makore, who has since been arrested, appeared in court yesterday and was remanded in custody for the gruesome murder of the juvenile.

Clad in prison garb, Shamba, who was visibly jittery, led the police to the garden where he kidnapped the boy allegedly under the instructions of the boy’s uncle.

From there, Shamba led the team of detectives to the uncle’s homestead where he said he fed the boy, drugged him with kachasu and locked him up in a room for hours.

Shamba said he also drank the illicit kachasu brew in the pursuit of gathering courage so that he commits the heinous crime.

“I went to the kitchen hut and brought the boy sadza and dried fish. I washed his hands before giving him the food. After eating, I went to Mrs Katsande’s homestead where I bought five litres of illicit brew (kachasu).

“I drank the beer to gather courage. I also put a bit of sugar into the brew and offered it to the boy who took it until he got drunk and slept. I then locked him up in the room before going back to Mrs Katsande’s homestead for more beer,” he told the detectives.

While at the Katsande homestead, village watchmen broke the news of the missing boy.
Makore (Snr) is said to have joined the boy’s father Mr Munyaradzi Makore on the search party, but at midnight they had to halt.

According to Shamba, he met the boy’s uncle around midnight and took the boy to a nearby mountain where they killed him.

“Around midnight, we opened the door and I carried the boy, who was still in deep slumber to a mountain in the village.

“Mr Makore carried the knives and the plastic bags. While here (in the mountain), I pressed the boy to the ground and cut off his head with a sharp knife, while his uncle was holding a torch for lighting.

“I also cut off the hands and legs, but we packed the parts in different plastic bags. I carried the one with the torso and the head while Mr Makore carried another one containing the legs and hands,” he said.

At the scene, investigators saw human waste, believed to have been excreted by the boy during the murder.

Shamba told detectives that he cleaned the scene of the blood and set the grass on fire to destroy evidence.

He said while walking to Makore’s homestead, he felt the load was becoming heavier before dumped the torso near Mr Summer Murwira’s homestead.

“The bag was now heavier and dogs were barking. I had to quickly drop the torso and proceeded with the head,” he said.

While at Makore’s homestead, Shamba said he was instructed to put the head in one of the rooms, which he did.

The following day, Shamba said he dumped the arms and legs at a nearby grave as police investigations were intensifying.

Villagers, eager to follow the proceedings, could be seen watching from a distance.

Police are still hunting for a third man, described as a witchdoctor, to whom the head was allegedly delivered.

state media