Why, but why does my brother, Tapiwa’s father ask

Daniel Nemukuyu

Investigations Editor

Driving to the village of Makore under the command of Chief Mangwende in Murehwa, the children no longer speak to strangers, no matter the amount of flattery. The message has sunk, do not talk to strangers so that you do not know the fate of Tapiwa.

The recent ritual murder of Tapiwa Makore has instilled fear in both young and old villagers, who have since strongly warned their children not to entertain strangers, especially motorists.

In the same week, another human head was also found in the village and the identity has yet to be established.

The Herald struggled to get to Makore’s farm as most of the people, especially children, who came from school were reluctant to help out with directions.

Fortunately, a visibly drunk man came to the rescue and offered to drive The Herald team to the farm.

Upon arriving at the house, most of the villagers were angry, excited, and debating the possible reasons for the murder. This was a complete abomination to them. They were horrified by the way the boy’s remains had been discovered after his disappearance.

A torso believed to be his was found dragged by a neighbor’s dog. The head and other parts of the body were missing. Later arms and legs were found following a trail.

That was not all. The dogs had also dragged a human head, which, according to doctors, belongs to a person who should be around 12 years old.

Detectives question Tafadzwa Shamba about a pair of bloodstained pants found at his employer’s home during investigations

The boy’s uncle, Tapiwa Makore (elder) and his employee Tafadzwa Shamba have been arrested in connection with the murder.

What surprised the community was the effort that the uncle had put into searching for the boy once he was declared missing. He had led the search and was a pillar of strength for his younger brother, constantly assuring him that they would find the boy alive.

He even had the temerity to punish his younger brother’s wife for being careless in Tapiwa’s disappearance. But oh! After playing a leading role in the search, the older brother of the boy’s father turned out to be one of the prime murder suspects.

Blood-stained clothes were found in one of his rooms.

Tapiwa Makore (senior) had previously commendably attended the funeral. At one point, she reportedly got emotional, accusing the boy’s mother, Ms Munyori, of being irresponsible, as the mystery about the boy’s whereabouts deepened.

As fate would have it, his luck ran out. Some family members assigned to clean their house stumbled upon bloodstained pants and a shirt. They immediately alerted detectives who were all over town investigating the boy’s murder.

Circumstantial evidence pointed to him as the architect of the crime who had ordered Shamba to kill the boy.

In an interview, the boy’s mother broke down recounting how her brother-in-law had harassed her by threatening to beat her at the funeral for not being held accountable for the child.

“Once he threatened to beat me, accusing me of being irresponsible and of not being held accountable for the disappearance of my son. You can even ask my husband and other family members who heard him threatening me, but to my surprise it is he who was arrested by the police for murder, “she sobbed.

Equally speechless, the boy’s father, Mr. Munyaradzi Makore. He said his brother had been a pillar of strength during the search and remained optimistic that the boy would be found alive.

“It is hard to believe that my own brother, who had been with me during the search and the funeral, turned out to be a suspect in the murder case. We were together Thursday night (September 24) looking for my son. It strengthened me, with words of hope that the child could be alive somewhere, ”he said.

When asked what may have led to his brother allegedly killing his nephew, Tapiwa’s father was speechless. He was also surprised that there was no grudge between the two families as they enjoyed cordial relations, as evidenced by naming the child Tapiwa after his older brother.

Regarding the burial arrangements, Mr. Makore (junior) said DNA samples were taken from the boy’s mother and they were initially told to wait between two and three weeks for the results.

“We have paid US $ 330 and we expect to pay the balance when collecting the results. The results will determine the date of burial.

“If the torso is really his, then we can proceed to bury the available body parts, but it’s strange. Bury a body without a head? said the boy’s father shaking his head.

A villager, Mr. Summer Murwira, was the first to discover the torso that was being dragged by his dog on his farm last Friday morning.

“Early Friday morning, I was brushing my teeth outside the house when a relative came by and told me that Tapiwa had disappeared. Right after he left, I saw our black puppy dragging a torso, but we couldn’t easily tell whose it was. However, I realized that it was a mutilated human body. I called other villagers and we resolved to send a message to the Makore family that they were looking for their missing son.

“When the relatives arrived, the trail left by the puppy led us to the place where the torso had fallen. We then noticed blood stains and immediately reported the matter to the police, ”said Mr. Murwira.

But what kind of boy was Tapiwa and how did he relate to his peers in the area?

Tafadzwa Shamba recounts how he entered a kitchen hut at the home of Tapiwa Makore (senior) to collect food for the boy.

The Herald visited Nyamutumbu Elementary School, where he was a first grader. The school staff described him as a well-behaved, intelligent, and very promising student with a bright future. They just couldn’t understand how his life had been cut short and why, as he was an exemplary student.

“Tapiwa was a promising young man, dedicated to school work, polite and respectful. It is sad that he passed away at such a young age. Their school attendance was excellent considering that most of the children in these rural communities are absent for no good reason.

“He was very sociable and interacted well with others here at school,” said one of his teachers.

School sources said the principal had since written to the district’s education offices requesting permission to end lessons early to allow students to walk home before sunset.

“We have some students who walk long distances up to three hours to get home. I understand that our principal has written to the district office requesting that he be allowed to finish lessons at 3 pm each day.

“This arrangement will ensure that all children get home early for safety reasons,” said a source.

The Herald also located the relatives of the alleged killer, the Shamba family.

In an interview in Chinyani village in Murehwa, Gaylord Shamba, younger brother of Tafadzwa’s late father, said the family was engaged to the Makore family.

“We involved the Makore family through our councilor and they welcomed us. They understood the fact that one deviant person cannot spoil the entire clan. We attend the funeral and provide plenty of firewood and cornmeal. That is not enough, we intend to continue helping until the funeral, “he said.

Shamba said the family was willing to compensate the Makore family.