Murders trigger fear, panic in Domboshava

“All we are getting are more reports of murder cases instead of arrests. We are not even aware whether they are investigating or not.
“Had they deployed investigating officers the way they do at roadblocks, they could have identified one or two suspects,” he said.

Officer Commanding police in Murehwa district Chief Superintendent Simon Mwatsikesimbe said there were no leads so far to who could be committing the murders.
He said police beefed up security following the cases with 22 police officers being added to the team at Chinamhora Police Station.
He said police intensified patrols especially during the night.

“We took the officers from other police stations in the district to boost the activities at Chinamhora.
“We have also pooled resources and got vehicles from areas such as Mutawatawa, Mutoko and Makosa. In addition to that, the officers are also working with the Support Unit to ensure safety of the villagers,” he said.

Chief Supt Mwatsikesimbe urged villagers to assist police with informa­tion, as the murderers could also be local people.
“People are not willing to talk but we advise them to use suggestion boxes for their information to be as confi­dential as possible,” he said.
He said police were treating the death of a man whose body was found decomposing on Thursday along Chibvuti River as a suspected suicide case.

Chief Supt Mwatsikesimbe said police were only allowing commuter omnibuses with relevant route permits to operate in the area.
“The kombis can be hired by the murderers and they can commit the offence and go back using that trans­port so we are no longer allowing poachers in the area,” he said.

He said no soldiers were deployed in the area as reported yesterday.
However, other villagers said the police station was far from Dom­boshava business centre.
“They don’t have the resources to move around and it is difficult for them to monitor what would be hap­pening at the main centre of attrac­tion.

“It is only after these cases that they have intensified their patrols,” said Mr Tom Mutekwa from Mungate village.
Mr Mutekwa said most victims could have been killed for ritual pur­poses.
There are reports that some tradi­tional leaders in the area were par­celling out pieces of land to people from Harare to build houses.

This has seen an influx of strangers and locals say some of these people might be behind the killings.