Chronicle Editor
Nyaradzo Bakari, Chronicle Reporter
A MAN (34) from Emthunzini suburb, Umguza District near Bulawayo’s Pumula South was allegedly murdered and his body thrown into a sewage pond.
Nkululeko Sibanda was last seen alive when he went for a beer drink with his friends at a local shebeen. His body was found floating in the pond on Saturday after he was reported missing a week earlier.
The body was discovered by a child who was playing around the area.
Bulawayo Police Provincial spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango confirmed the incident, saying investigations are under way.
“I can confirm we are investigating a case of suspected murder at Emthunzini suburb. The body had reached an advanced stage of decomposition and we are still waiting for a post-mortem to confirm whether it was murder or not,” she said.
Mourners were gathered at the deceased’s home in the same suburb when a Chronicle news crew visited the residence.
Nkululeko’s father, Mr Pine Sibanda said his son went missing on January 19. He said they last saw Nkululeko leaving home with his friends, headed to a shebeen in the suburb to drink beer.
Mr Sibanda said his son’s body was discovered at around 5.30PM on Saturday.
“He went missing on Friday January 19. He had gone out to drink with his friends at a shebeen nearby and his friends said they last saw him that night as they parted ways.
“It is very painful to think that I went searching for him around that area but we didn’t think of the sewage ponds so we returned not knowing he had been thrown there,” he said.
“His body was discovered by a child who was playing around the area. The child told his parents who then reported to the police. I only got a call from the police asking me to come and identify the body because I had made a report that Nkululeko was missing.”
Mr Sibanda said it was difficult to identify the deceased as his face was swollen and he had bruises.
“I had to identify him with the clothes he had been wearing the day we last saw him,” he said.
Mr Sibanda said Nkululeko is survived by a wife and a two-year-old child.
Residents urged Umguza District Council to erect a perimeter fence around the sewage ponds as they were a danger to the community especially children.
“The council should do something about these sewage ponds. They should be fenced because they are a danger even to children who play around the area. A child may fall into the pond and drown in there so I think the place should be fenced off and if possible have someone guard the area,” said a resident.
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