Bulawayo businessman fatally shoots self in the head

Raymond Jaravaza [email protected]

A BULAWAYO businessman, who owned butcheries in the city’s western suburbs, was Saturday night found dead with a gunshot wound in an apparent suicide.

John Tafara Madzikatire reportedly shot himself outside his girlfriend’s house in Cowdray Park suburb on Saturday night.

He owned a popular butchery at koChigumira leisure centre in Luveve and another one in Pumula North suburb.

Police confirmed the businessman’s death.

“Police confirm the death of John Tafara Madzikatire who was found with a gunshot wound in the head. Police are treating the case as suicide but investigations are continuing,” said Bulawayo provincial spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele.

Workers who spoke to Chronicle on Sunday morning said they last saw their boss on Saturday around 5pm when he delivered meat at the koChigumira outlet, known as Samaz Butchery, in his black Mercedes Benz vehicle.

He was in the company of a young lady, they said.

“He collected beef from the butchery in Pumula North and delivered it here in Luveve around 5pm. He was with a young woman who stayed behind in the car when we collected the meat from the boot of his car.

“We were alerted by one of his friends that he had shot himself outside the woman’s house in Cowdray Park,” said the employee who asked not be named.

The employee said the workers hired a Honda Fit vehicle and rushed to the scene of the fatal shooting in Cowdray Park and found police at the scene.

“We are still in disbelief that the boss killed himself. The butcheries will remain closed until we hear from the family,” he added.

He said mourners will most likely gather at Madzikatire’s plot in Kensington, on the outskirts of Bulawayo.

Madzikatire is originally from Manicaland Province.

The vehicle that the late businessman was driving when he reportedly shot himself was on Sunday morning parked outside the Luveve butchery after police released it to the family.

Police sources said Madzikatire was found with the large sums of money at the scene.