Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze recently in GURUVE
AN unsettling stillness has enveloped the Guruve community after 12 murders in 11 days with the streets now uncharacteristically quiet.
On a Sunday afternoon, the streets are nearly deserted, with many residents staying indoors, a stark contrast to the expected vibrancy of the festive season. The only signs of life are patrols by the army and police, whose presence is currently the community’s only hope for security.
At this time of year, Guruve is usually bustling with farm activities, as rains fall almost daily, allowing for high productivity. Yet this agricultural community is now virtually paralysed. Villagers cannot attend their fields as fear reigns supreme.
For close to a month, the town has been on watch after a murderer killed 12 in just 11 days.
Police have identified 32-year-old Anymore Zvitsva as the prime suspect in the spate of murders. The horrifying spree has left locals in fear, living in a state of heightened anxiety and vigilance.
Forced by fear to stay off their farms, villagers watch as their unattended crops choke in weeds. Livestock also struggle with inadequate feed as herders no longer dare to take cattle, goats and sheep to their usual grazing spaces. The atmosphere is thick with tension, as the once-vibrant community grapples with feeling like prisoners in their own yards.
“We are now confined to our homes, we cannot attend our fields anymore because it is now too dangerous to be out there with a serial killer on the loose,” said Edith Guhwa of Mukuya village. “The first five victims were my close relatives, I am still in shock of what happened and do not feel safe anymore, I fear for myself and children.”
In response, the army and police have deployed patrols to provide security. The intensified manhunt is supported by drone surveillance, canine units and horse patrols from specialised tactical teams on the ground.
Meanwhile, families have resorted to sleeping in groups at designated households to enhance their safety in numbers. Authorities have also equipped each villager with a whistle to easily alert others in the event of an attack.
“Our lives will not return to normalcy until the killer has been nabbed,” said Edward Gweshe. “I grew up with the said killer, he has always been a problem child and when these stories began to emerge, it did not come as a surprise to those who knew him. The security forces need to act fast otherwise they may never catch him; he loves machetes and very dangerous so the matter deserves urgency.”
Among the victims are Grace Zvitsva (66), Loice Chiringaushe (37), Takudzwa Kariva (5), Tatenda Chirenje (2), Tendai Zvitsva (40) and siblings Pamela, Kudzai and Tawanda Chipangura.
To accelerate the capture, police have offered a substantial reward for information leading to Zvitsva’s arrest, but no credible leads have emerged so far. The suspected killer’s grandmother and siblings are now in police custody, suspected of supplying him with food and information on the search.
“I am all alone here, Gogo is now 107 years old, she had to be taken in by police to stop any one from supplying my killer uncle with information related to his hunt,” said Zvitsva’s niece, Reason, who is currently taking care of their grandmother’s compound. Reason’s mother was one of Zvitsva’s first five victims.
She admits her uncle has been a known thief and robber since childhood. “Unfortunately I have no were else to go with my children which is why I am still here,” she said. “I came here years ago so that I could take care of Gogo since she is now old, I never thought that my uncle would one day murder my mother in cold blood.”
Like others, Reason seeks refuge at her neighbours’ place at night.
However, villagers argue that the image police are using for the manhunt might be outdated. “That image could be from more than 15 years ago because he is now very different, he has a scar on his face,” said Tineyi Gweshe.
“Maybe it would be better for them to engage village youths because these are the people who know what exactly he looks like now and they also know some of the spaces he might use as hide outs. The picture is misleading and it will be difficult for those who do not know him personally to be able to identify him.”
The killings, which began as isolated incidents in October, escalated with more than a dozen people reportedly murdered in Guruve. As days pass and the killer remains at large, the fear only deepens across the community.
