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Walter Nyamukondiwa in KAROI
Last week’s discovery of charred remains of a Karoi pirate taxi driver in a suspected gruesome murder has sent shivers down the spines of many residents of this otherwise sleepy town. The town woke up to news that Liberty Mpanse was missing and the word spread quickly because he had gained popularity due to his line of trade as a pirate taxi driver.
If Mpanse’s missing was too hard to swallow for the residents, then the discovery of his charred body in the vehicle he was driving, which was also burnt, was gut wrenching.
Mpanse’s body was found in the shell of the Toyota FunCargo vehicle in between the front and back seats, with his palm and lower legs missing, fuelling speculation that he could have been killed for ritual purposes.
His body was in the leg area with front seats reclined, ostensibly to conceal it and his hands were tied together with a wire.
Doors to the vehicle were locked, as if the assailants wanted to make sure that he did not escape from the inferno.
Neighbours around the Chidzuwi turn-off area where the vehicle was discovered along Magunje Road said they heard explosions during the night coming from the burning vehicle.
Little is known on what actually transpired on the fateful night and police are battling to put the pieces together.
Not even a post-mortem could give pointers on what really happened.
The owner of the pirate taxi that Mpanse was driving, Mr Rongai Pisa, said he was not in the town on the day.
“I told Liberty to ensure that he adheres to the time we agreed to knock off, which is 8pm,” he said. “I told him to hand over the day’s takings to my brother Simba.”
At the end of the day, Mpanse met Simba and gave him the money as agreed and said he was heading for a show by musician Progress Chipfumo in the town.
He instead went home where he left around 8pm after telling his wife Revai Mwenyangu that he had been called by Simba to carry some potatoes.
Said Revai in an interview: “He did not eat the food I had prepared for him saying he had been called by Simba to carry the potatoes”.
And that was the last time she saw her husband alive. Mpanse left behind Revai and their two children aged five and two.
He was buried on Monday at Karoi cemetery in a funeral which brought the town to a standstill as his colleagues lined up their pirate taxis in the procession.
Mr Pisa said Mpanse had been working for him for about two months, having known him before as they used to operate flea markets together in the town.
“I had known Liberty for about three years now,” he said.
“We used to own flea market tables, but he decided to stop saying his stock had dwindled. That is when he came to work for me after I bought my vehicle.”
He described him as a quiet person who never exhibited a violent disposition.
Speculation is rife in the town that Mpanse could have been entangled in a love triangle which could have led to his demise. But Mr Pisa said Mpanse was not known for that.
A taxi driver who preferred anonymity said news of Mpanse’s death came as a shock and called for thorough investigations.
“We are now afraid to work at night because of what happened to our colleague,” he said. “Its so sad.”
Narrating how his vehicle was found, Mr Pisa said he returned from Gokwe and heard that Mpanse was missing.
He reported to the police after his relatives said they were not aware of his whereabouts.
While he was making inquiries on the investigations progress at the police station the following day, an officer came in with news that a yellow vehicle had been found burnt near the Chidzuwi turn-off.
“When we got there with the police, we discovered Liberty’s body at the back seat with his hands tied by a wire,” said Mr Pisa. “It was a shocking sight which I could not stand. This was someone I had seen a few days before he was burnt beyond recognition.”
What is clear to everyone in this town is that Mpanse was murdered and suffered a gruesome death at the hands of the assailants. Everyone is waiting for a day when the perpetrators will be brought to book and this means police have to work extra hard to put the pieces together.
Police said investigations are still in progress.
Online Reporter