A 37-YEAR-OLD 1 Commando Regiment-based soldier was on Thursday night killed by three minors after he allegedly attacked their mother over suspected arson at his parents’ home in Zaka, Masvingo province.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the murder of Aaron Bhasopayi by three children aged 15, 12 and 10 under circumstances still under investigation.
“We are investigating what really transpired,” Nyathi said.
But a leaked police memo indicated that the soldier travelled from Harare to Zaka on Wednesday on a revenge mission after his parents’ hut was allegedly set on fire by the minor children’s father over a debt.
Bhasopayi arrived at the accused person’s home at around 10pm, forced himself into the accused’s room and woke them up before going to their mother’s bedroom, where he stabbed her with a knife, accusing her husband of torching his parents’ hut.
The trio’s mother cried for help and on realising their mother was in danger, the 15-year-old accused person grabbed Bhasopayi from the back and the other two accused persons started to assault the soldier using logs.
It is alleged the accused persons took an axe which was in the room and struck Bhasopayi several times on the head until he collapsed.
The accused persons left him unconscious and alerted neighbours and police.
The police officers attended the scene and found Bhasopayi’s body lying in a pool of blood.
The police searched the body and recovered a Zimbabwe National Army identity card, three blue tablets, cigarettes and loose dagga.
The body was taken to Masvingo General Hospital for post-mortem while the accused’s mother was referred to Ndanga District Hospital for medical attention.
The matter is being investigated under ZRP Zaka CR117/10/20.
-Newsday
Below is the full police memo with all the details of the incident
BACKGROUND
The now deceased was a member of the ZNA and is not related to the accused persons. The now-deceased had received information to the effect that his parents’ kitchen but which was recently thatched was burnt down by the alleged thatcher who had failed to recover the outstanding payment balance.
The deceased travelled from Harare and went straight to the accused person’s homestead during the night and broke into the bedroom belonging to Patience Chineka NR 83-141768 L 83 of village Musenyi, Chief Ndanga, Zaka accusing her husband who was now in Police custody for setting fire to his mother’s hut.
CIRCUMSTANCES
On the 21st day of October 2020, the now-deceased left work and proceeded village Musenyi Chief Ndanga, Zaka after he got information that the accused person’s father had burnt her mother’s hut. He arrived at the accused persons homestead at around 2200 hours and smashed open the Patience Chineka’s bedroom door. He entered and found the accused persons already asleep. He woke them up by sprinkling Chibuku beer on them.
After that, he went to the next room, where he found Patience Chineka asleep and started to assault her accusing the family for the MDP [malicious damage to property] committed by her husband. Patience Chineka responded stating that his husband had been arrested in connection with the case but he confronted her and started assaulting her with booted feet and a knife which he used to stab Patience Chineka.
She cried out for help and the accused person 1 realizing that his mother was being attacked grabbed the now deceased from the back ordering the other two accused to assault him with pieces of wood. They took an axe which was in the room and attacked the now deceased hitting him several times on the head.
The now-deceased started to lose strength and later collapsed as he was having a severe nose bleed and blood gushing from his forehead. When the accused persons noticed that the now deceased was unconscious they left him. They then alerted neighbours and accused person 1 came to ZRP Zaka to report that they had killed the now deceased in a bid to rescue their mother.
Investigations Scene was attended by both ZRP DUB and CID Zaka and body was lying in Patience Chineka’s bedroom facing up in a pool of blood. Observed on the deceased’s body were deep cuts on the forehead and chin The body of the now deceased was searched and a ZNA identity card, 3 blue tablets, cigarettes, loose dagga wrapped in a rizzler paper and 2 sachets of dagga were recovered from his pockets.
Axes and logs used to commit the offence were recovered at the homestead. The body of the now deceased was conveyed to Masvingo General Hospital for post mortem. Patience Chineka was taken to Ndanga District Hospital to seek medical attention but was in a stable condition though she was unable to wake up by herself.
Post mortem conducted revealed that death was caused by Hemorrhagic shock ZRP Zaka CR117/10/20 refers. Case is a straight forward one and is being investigated.
