Lovemore Kadzura
Weekender Reporter
TWO brothers aged 12 and 15 have died following a suspected poisoning incident, with their father accusing his estranged wife of poisoning the children before disappearing.
The tragic deaths of Emmanuel Makarimai (15) and his younger brother, Tanaka (12), have left their family devastated, as police investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Their father, Victor Makarimai, who works in Poland, alleges that his estranged wife, Vimbai Mushava, poisoned the boys before vanishing shortly after they were admitted at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare.
Speaking in an interview, an emotional Makarimai said he was struggling to come to terms with the loss of his sons, and could not understand how someone he had trusted with their welfare could allegedly harm them.
Makarimai said marital problems had strained his relationship with Mushava, who had expressed a desire to end their marriage.
“Our relationship was facing challenges because she wanted a divorce. She travelled to Zimbabwe on September 22 to begin the divorce process and later returned to Poland on October 5. We spoke several times after that, but she remained determined to end the marriage,” he said.
Makarimai said Mushava later informed him of plans to return permanently to Zimbabwe.
He said on October 20, his eldest son, Emmanuel, informed him that Mushava had arrived back in the country.
Two days later, the family’s domestic worker reportedly resigned, leaving the children in Mushava’s custody.
“On October 25, Emmanuel told me that Mushava had left them alone. I became concerned and asked my sister, Mazvita, to check on the children,” he said.
Makarimai alleges that when his sister visited the family home, Mushava assaulted her with a brick during a confrontation, leaving her with head injuries.
The matter was reported to the police.
He further claimed that Mushava later told relatives and acquaintances that the boys had travelled to Harare to spend time with their biological mother.
“My sister discovered she was at the house, contrary to what she had been telling people. Around the same time, her relatives told me they also did not know her whereabouts because she was no longer answering calls,” he said.
Makarimai said arrangements were made for Emmanuel to travel to Harare to meet his biological mother, while Tanaka was expected to remain in Rusape with relatives until schools closed.
However, those plans never materialised.
“The boys’ mother went to Mbare expecting to receive them, but they never arrived. Mushava’s phone had become unreachable. That is when we realised she had lied about the children travelling to Harare,” he said.
His fears deepened when Tanaka reportedly failed to attend school and all attempts to contact the children proved unsuccessful.
“On Thursday night, I received information that my children had been admitted at Parirenyatwa Hospital. That was the last time Mushava was reportedly seen,” said Makarimai.
He said he has no knowledge of her current whereabouts and suspects she may have fled the country.
“I do not know where she is. I suspect she may have crossed into South Africa or returned to Poland. Losing my children in such heartbreaking circumstances is something I never imagined. I was working hard to secure a better future for them,” he said.
Makarimai said he had recently been making plans for Emmanuel’s education.
“I wanted him to attend boarding school and had already bought learning materials while waiting for his Grade Seven results. Now all these dreams are gone,” he said.
The boys’ biological mother, Ms Loice Jose of Concession, said she had expected the children to travel to Harare after making arrangements with Mushava.
“We agreed that Vimbai would bring the children from Rusape, and I would meet them in Harare, before travelling with them to Concession. I waited for them at Mbare Musika, but they never arrived,” she said.
The following day, Jose received a call from the Parirenyatwa Police Post informing her that both boys were admitted at the hospital after reportedly suffering severe vomiting.
“When I got to the hospital, I was told that Tanaka had already died. Emmanuel was still battling for his life, but he died a few minutes later,” she said.
The brothers were laid to rest on Wednesday at Alpha Plots on the outskirts of Rusape.
Efforts to obtain comment from national police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi were unsuccessful at the time of going to print.
FROM POLAND TO PAIN . . . Brothers die, step-mom disappears
