Online Reporter
Lovemore Kadzura
Post Reporter
A 28-YEAR-OLD woman alleged to be a commercial sex worker was arrested for the alleged murder of a Chinese mining manager following an encounter that reportedly turned violent, while two of the deceased’s employees remain on the run.
Remember Memory Solomon of Village 42B, Inyati Mine, Headlands, appeared before Mutare magistrate, Ms Perseverance Makala, facing allegations of murdering Mr He Xiaming (62), a manager at Quarry Mining Plant in Odzi. Ms Makala did not ask Solomon to plead, and advised her to apply for bail at the High Court, as murder is a Third Schedule offence.
She was remanded in custody to September 4 for routine remand. Prosecutor, Mr Tawonga Mawire, said the deceased allegedly approached two of his employees, Tatenda Makwangariwa and Kudakwashe Sibanda, seeking assistance in finding a sex worker.
He said the two employees contacted Solomon, who was known to Sibanda, and facilitated a meeting between her and Mr He.
The prosecution alleges that during the course of events, Solomon, Makwangariwa and Sibanda formed a common plan to rob the deceased, whom they believed was carrying large sums of money. “On July 27, at around 10am, the now deceased, who was employed as a manager at Quarry Mining Plant in Odzi, requested his employees, Tatenda Makwangariwa and Kudakwashe Sibanda, to find a commercial sex worker for him. The two employees engaged the accused person, who was known to Sibanda, and brought her to the now deceased. In the process, the three allegedly hatched a plan to rob the deceased of money, believing that he had substantial cash in his possession,” said Mr Mawire.
The court heard that later that evening, after an alleged sexual encounter, Mr He paid Solomon US$40 for her services.
However, the State alleges that Solomon demanded more money, claiming that the deceased had engaged in unprotected sex with her. Faced with pressure and threats, Mr He allegedly handed over an additional US$100.
Mr Mawire said Solomon remained dissatisfied and subsequently teamed up with the two employees to extort more money from the victim. It is alleged that when Mr He resisted their demands, he was assaulted and killed.
The trio allegedly disposed of the body in a riverbed before fleeing. Mr Mawire said the deceased’s body was discovered more than two weeks later. “On August 18, at around 5pm, the decomposed body of the deceased was discovered in a riverbed. Investigations were launched, leading to the arrest of the accused person. The two accomplices never returned to work after the deceased went missing and their whereabouts are currently unknown,” he said.
A post-mortem examination established the cause of death as injuries to the higher nervous centre, a skull-base fracture and blunt force head trauma. Police investigations are continuing, while efforts to locate the two outstanding suspects are underway.
