Online Reporter
Simbarashe Chitsiku and Leot Mafukashe
A 22-YEAR-OLD man from Jongwe Village under Chief Garawa in Chipinge died on Monday evening after being struck by lightning while walking home during a thunderstorm.
Acting Manicaland police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka confirmed the incident and identified the deceased as John Munhumumwe.
He said Munhumumwe was walking from Majoka Business Centre to his home in Jongwe village at around 5pm on March 2, 2026, when a heavy thunderstorm broke out in the area.
He was in the company of his younger brother, Charles (18), as they made their way along a footpath leading to their homestead.
The storm allegedly intensified suddenly, with strong winds and persistent lightning.
Mr Caiphas Sithole (57), who was tending to his field near his homestead, said he noticed a sharp flash of lightning immediately followed by a loud thunderclap that shook the surroundings.
“I saw a bright flash and heard a heavy thunderclap. A few moments later, I heard cries coming from the direction where the two boys had been walking,” said Mr Sithole, adding that he rushed to the scene and found Munhumumwe lying unconscious on the ground, with his mother, Mrs Rossy Dowe, by his side.
Community members assisted in rushing him to St Peter’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The case was reported to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in Chisumbanje, who attended the scene. The body was taken to the mortuary for a post-mortem examination, and investigations are ongoing.
Police have since urged members of the public to exercise caution during thunderstorms and to seek proper shelter, warning that the rainy season is still ongoing and lightning-related incidents remain a serious concern.
