THE herdsman, Tafadzwa Shamba, who was recently arrested over the ritual murder of Tapiwa Makore (7) at Makore Village in Murehwa yesterday told detectives he killed the boy by cutting off the head with a knife in the dead of the night, while the boy’s uncle was holding a torch. He was taken by detectives to Makore Village in Murehwa yesterday for an inspection in loco. Shamba said after 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 has since also been arrested and he appeared in court yesterday where he was remanded in custody on murder charges. Clad in prison garb, Shamba, who was visibly jitte
STATE Security minister Owen Ncube yesterday sensationally accused the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC Alliance of engaging in acts of sabotage and banditry by smuggling guns into the country and setting up militia groups to topple government. Ncube told journalists that State security agents had gathered information that the opposition had connived with some disgruntled Zanu PF members to smuggle arms into the country to destabilise President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration. “We are watching attempts to drive Zimbabwe into chaos. Some rogue elements among us are conniving with hostile Western governments to smuggle guns and set up so-called democratic resistance committees that are to all intents and purposes violent militia groups.” Ncube said. “These plans are ke
Rumour of a coup in Zimbabwe mount A coalition of non-governmental organisations in Zimbabwe says that government claims of a coup plot by the opposition and civic society are a ploy to silence critics. Crisis Coalition, a grouping of 87 NGOs, said in a statement the claims by state security minister Owen Ncube were “worrisome and a direct threat to activists who dare challenge the status quo”. Ncube on Monday sensationally accused the opposition MDC Alliance of wanting to import arms to unseat President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Ncube issued his statement as Mnangagwa argued that the only crisis in Zimbabwe was in the “heads” of the opposition. Ncube, a close ally of the president, said the country’s security and stability were under siege from se
POLICE yesterday arrested another suspect for allegedly killing a seven-year-old boy Tapiwa Makore from Murewa. National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the uncle to the deceased is alleged to have worked with one Tafadzwa Shamba in killing the seven-year-old-boy. Shamba has since been arrested. “Police have arrested the deceased’s uncle in connection with the murder incident. He was arrested yesterday. Allegations are that the uncle assisted Tafadzwa Shamba in this case and he is the one who took the head to a witch doctor. “Police are now looking for the witch doctor,” he said. Tapiwa went missing on September 17 after he was allegedly kidnapped while looking after his parents’ garden. His body was found the follow
MDC Alliance Dismisses Chamisa Arrest Claims The opposition MDC Alliance (MDC-A) on Monday dismissed social media claims that party president Nelson Chamisa had been arrested. Open Space had, without giving details, posted on microblogging site Twitter that Chamisa had been arrested. The post read, “MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa arrested. More to follow.” In a brief statement on its social media channels, the MDC Alliance dismissed the claims as fake news. The statement read: President Nelson Chamisa has not been arrested. He is going about his normal MDC Alliance Party business and meetings. We request journalists to exercise responsible and ethical journalism. This comes after youths aligned to the judicially-reconstructed MDC-T announced that they have reso
The evening when I walked into Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison as part of my punishment by Mnangagwa’s regime for exposing the looting of Covid-19 public funds, I was met by a nurse who was honest and straight with me, “....we don’t even have paracetamol tablets in this prison,” she said to both Jacob Ngarivhume and myself after I had asked about the drug situation at the prison. I knew then that I was entering into a horror prison not able of taking care of our health needs or any unforeseen medical eventualities. The very least that the prison could have done was to have basic medicines, but not at Chikurubi. These are the reality nightmares that not only Zimbabweans at home encounter in Zimbabwe’s public hospitals, but even prisoners in Zimbabwe&
Freelance journalist Hopewell Chin’ono says President Emmerson Mnangagwa has taken over the opposition MDC-T because of his desire to control opposition politics in Zimbabwe. Speaking during an interview with Zimbo Live TV, the award-winning journalist also challenged MDC Alliance Nelson Chamisa to drop the MDC brand and form a new party. He said: The recalls [of MDC Alliance elected officials by the MDC-T] are a product of illegal and unconstitutional judgements. They are meant to decimate the opposition. Emmerson Mnangagwa is now running a puppet opposition movement led by Douglas Mwonzora, Thokozani Khupe, Morgen Komichi and Elias Mudzuri. There is nowhere in the world where in a normal democracy, people voted for the MDC Alliance then the MDC-T comes and says these are ac
Disputed opposition MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has said he will today use his second e-rally to tell the nation that President Emmerson Mnangagwa's regime is beatable & stoppable despite its show of invincible power and heavy crackdown on dissenting voices. The charismatic youthful leader, who has not made a public address since the passing on of his mother a couple of months ago, takes to the podium today to articulate the way forward for the opposition movement that, apart from being rocked by internal fights, is also under siege from Mnangagwa administration. The address also comes at a time when the country is facing its worst economic downturn in a decade with majority citizens yearning for better days. Chamisa's spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda yesterday sa
The seven-year-old Murehwa boy, whose mutilated body was found being eaten by dogs, was kidnapped and murdered last week for ritual purposes, allegedly by a herder and two others who sold the body parts for US$1 500, police said yesterday. Police yesterday arrested, Tafadzwa Shamba, on kidnap and murder charges and are now hunting down the two suspected accomplices. National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi gave details of the progress of investigations yesterday. “It is alleged that Tafadzwa Shamba, a herd boy in the same village as the victim, worked with the other suspects to waylay the victim in a garden. They took him to a mountain where they kept him for the whole day. They then killed him at night and one of the other suspects, who is from Juru Grow
THE US government has called on President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration to uphold constitutional rights and end ongoing political repression and corruption in Zimbabwe. This emerged Wednesday evening during a meeting between Assistant Secretary for US Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs, Tibor Nagy and Zimbabwe’s Foreign Minister Sibusiso Moyo. The meeting came as political tensions continue to rise in the troubled southern African country and on the back of a government crackdown on several senior opposition leaders, activists and journalists on various charges including inciting public violence. A number of activists went into hiding July this year after the State launched a crackdown on organisers of the foiled July 31 anti-corruption protest
