Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Reporter
A harrowing narrative of the year-long terror in the Guruve district reached the Harare Magistrates Court yesterday, as suspected serial killer Anymore Zvitsva (33) faced eight counts of murder covering 19 people in total, mostly women, two of attempted murder and two of rape.
Appearing before provincial magistrate Vakayi Chikwekwe, Zvitsva, who is receiving treatment at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, was remanded in custody. He was not asked to plead and was told only the High Court could entertain a bail application for such serious crimes.
The remand hearing was postponed to January 19, 2026, for his formal indictment.
Prosecutor Lawrence Gangarahwe wove a chilling chronology of violence, beginning on a March night in 2025, in Rangwani Village. The alleged, Anymore Zvitsva broke into the home of Jane Dube, demanding money. When Dube fled into a nearby maize field, he pursued and bludgeoned her to death with an iron rod.
The terror escalated a month later on a farm in Nyakapupu. The court heard that Zvitsva confronted Modester Isaac as she herded cattle, forced her into a bush at knife point and raped her.
Alerted by a witness, villagers rushed to the scene, but it was too late. Anymore Zvitsva had allegedly strangled Isaac with a wire and hanged her body from a tree. Villagers stumbled upon the grim sight the following day. He had vanished.
As the year wore on, a grim pattern emerged. In October, Alice Marangarire was ambushed with a machete while searching for cattle and strangled with a wire. Weeks later, in Mubaiwa Village, Zvitsva allegedly attacked Elisha Dickens Chikwavarara and Dudzai Mazuvaawanda who were on their way to a garden. Chikwavarara was killed instantly, while Mazuvaawanda was taken 20 metres away, strangled and also hanged from a tree.
The State alleges that on 30 November 2025, at Farm 31 Nyakapupu, Guruve, at around 8pm, the deceased Megina Chizema, Stacey Pulango and Allet Kavhura retired to bed in their two-roomed house.
At around 11pm, the accused, Zvitsva, allegedly went to the homestead armed with a knife and a snare wire. He forced open the door, causing a noise that awakened Chizema.
Anymore Zvitsva then produced the knife and threatened to stab her if she made any noise. He forced her to lie on the bed and strangled her to death with the snare wire.
Zvitsva proceeded to Pulango, who was fast asleep and allegedly used the same snare wire to strangle her to death.
He then moved to Kavhura and strangled her in the same manner. On 2 December 2025, around 8pm, the lifeless bodies of the three victims were discovered lying on the bed.
In a separate incident, it is alleged that on 9 December 2025 at Zimuna Village under Chief Bepura, Guruve, at around 7:30pm, the deceased − Pamela Chipangura, Kudzai Chipangura, Tawanda Jariwa, and Tadiwanashe Marasika retired to bed in their one-roomed house.
At approximately 9pm, Anymore Zvitsva arrived at the homestead armed with a knife and a snare wire. He forced open the door and gained entry into the house.
Inside, he ordered Pamela to lie on the floor, where he hooked a snare wire around her neck and strangled her to death.
Anymore Zvitsva then proceeded to the other victims who were asleep and used the same snare wire to strangle them as well.
Afterwards, Anymore Zvitsva kidnapped Marasika and took her to Nyakapupu mountain, where he allegedly raped her. On 10 December 2025, Marasika attempted to escape.
However, upon noticing her attempt, Anymore Zvitsva chased her, killed her and buried her body on the Nyakapupu Mountain range.
Another charge detailed by the prosecutor occurred on the night of December 13th. Fortune Mwazha, having closed her shop at Zvivindi Business Centre, was asleep inside when Anymore Zvitsva allegedly broke down the door.
He tightened a snare wire around her neck until she lost consciousness, stole groceries and fled, leaving her for dead. Mwazha survived, becoming a crucial complainant in the case that would finally see the suspect apprehended.
The State further alleges that on 14 December 2025, at a plot in Guruve, the deceased Grace Zvitsva, Loice Chiringaushe, Takudzwa Kariba, and Tatenda Chirenje were sleeping in the main bedroom of the main house, while another deceased, Tatenda Zvitsva, was sleeping in a small kitchen hut opposite the main house.
At around 10am, Anymore Zvitsva approached the homestead armed with a knife and a spear. He entered the small kitchen hut where Tatenda Zvitsva was sleeping and stabbed him twice once on the left side of the chest and once on the back.
The last incident occurred on December 22, 2025, in Bosha village, Chief Bepura, Guruve, where tragedy struck at 8 pm.
Saujati Matora, had retired to her main bedroom for the night while, Shalom Malunga and her sister, Mavis Malunga, were also settling in for the evening in the spare bedroom.
At around 11pm, Anymore Zvitsva, armed with a knife and a snare wire, approached the homestead under the cover of darkness.
Peeping through the window of the spare bedroom, he threatened to kill Shalom and Mavis, warning them that he would shoot if they resisted.
Terrified, the two sisters fled the spare bedroom and rushed into Matora’s room seeking refuge, but relentless and determined Anymore Zvitsva moved quickly to the back door.
With force, he broke it open and gained entry into the house.
He made his way to the main bedroom, where he found Matora and Shalom, while Mavis hid under the bed in fear.
Seizing control of the situation, Anymore Zvitsva dragged Matora from the main bedroom to the spare bedroom and killed her. He then dragged Shalom raped her and then killed her.
In both instances, he used a snare wire to strangle the victims.
Mavis, who was hiding under the bed throughout the horror ordeal, survived.
