Online Reporter
Trish Mukwazo, [email protected]
A POLICE investigation is underway after the dismembered body of a man, believed to be in his early 20s, was discovered on railway tracks beneath the Luveve Road flyover yesterday morning, with authorities immediately suspecting a murder staged to appear as a suicide rather than a train accident.
Residents who rushed to the scene were met with a gruesome sight. The body lay on the tracks, with some limbs scattered nearby, sparking horror and disbelief among onlookers. When a Zimpapers’ news crew arrived, a National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) goods train had come to a halt near the body, its engine still running. Police officers were present, along with a growing crowd of shocked residents.
Initial speculation suggested the man had been struck by the train. However, NRZ public relations manager Mr Andrew Kunambura quickly dismissed that theory.
“When our crew spotted the body from a distance, they immediately applied the brakes and managed to stop the train before reaching the victim. Upon disembarking, they found the man was already dead. We suspect he may have been killed elsewhere and his body dumped on the railway line to suggest he had committed suicide or been hit by the train,” he said.
Provincial police spokesperson for Bulawayo, Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, confirmed that investigations are now underway to determine the cause and circumstances of the man’s death.
The identity of the deceased has not yet been established. His body was taken to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) mortuary for a post-mortem examination.
This is not the first disturbing incident to occur along this stretch of railway line. In October last year, a 62-year-old homeless man, Everton Mlalazi, narrowly escaped death after an NRZ engineman spotted him sleeping on the tracks and managed to bring the train to a halt just in time.
