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Africa Moyo Deputy News Editor
For Zimbabweans, 2020 which ended yesterday, was bizarre in many aspects; from Covid-19 that no one has a clue on how it can be treated, armed robberies and to ruthless killing of young children.
And as a new year begins today, there is expectation that a Covid-19 vaccine will arrive in the country soon while the high rate of murders is eliminated to create a safe environment for all.
Psychologists have suggested there are four major types of killings; visionary killings, missionary killings, hedonistic killings and control or power killings.
Visionary killers will kill others because they believe they have visions from God, Satan, angels or demons, and their victims are often not related or connected to them, while missionary killers tend to murder a particular class, race or group of people to eliminate them.
Hedonistic killers are believed to gain intense sexual gratification from their acts of violence while control or power killers want to control and have master over their victims completely, including when and how the person dies.
In Zimbabwe, and the progressive world, citizens and their leaders are not worried about the type of killing, but the act, and want it eliminated from society so that people don’t live in fear of being killed.
Last year, Zimbabwean children were largely at the mercy of their parents and in some cases, relatives who allegedly killed for ritual purposes.
The most bizarre and heart-rending of the killings was the September 17 murderof a seven-year-old Murehwa boy — Tapiwa Makore — from Nyamutumbu Village, allegedly by his close relatives.
The suspects are languishing in remand prison and the parents are yet to get closure since the boy’s head is yet to be found, while some of his remains have not been buried.
A January 9 date that had been proposed for burial has been deferred.
His uncle and namesake, Tapiwa Makore Senior (56) and his herdsman, Tafadzwa Shamba (40), and Thanks Makore, another uncle, are some of the suspects held in connection with the murder.
The matter stunned the entire nation, including President Mnangagwa, who immediately said his Government was determined to deal ruthlessly with murders.
Another harrowing case involved the brutal killing of an eight-year-old boy by Clever Chitiga, a 22-year-old suspect from Matova Village near Gokomere Mission under Chief Zimuto.
Strangely, the suspect cooked his nephew’s head in a pot.
After allegedly murdering the unsuspecting boy who had sought refuge from rains on his way from school, the suspect barricaded himself inside his hut.
The boy’s torso was found stashed in a nearby shallow pool, wrapped in a mosquito net.
In Chivhu, a 29-year-old woman Emelda Marazani allegedly killed her four children after a dispute with her husband by slitting their throats before setting the family home on fire, taking poison and handed herself over to the police.
The children were aged nine, five, three and one. They were killed after the husband Lameck Brande (43), had left for work.
Police say the eldest two were tied with a rope before being killed with a knife while the other two were also knifed to death.
In November, a Mutare man, Thomas Muchakabvura (40), appeared in court facing murder charges after allegedly assaulting his son to death after accusing him of disrespect.
Shocking circumstances leading to the alleged murder are that on November 25, at around 10am, Muchakabvura arranged with his son to visit Penhalonga, and discouraged him from preparing early and the son allegedly answered back, which angered the accused before assaulting him.
In October, a 43-year-old man, Pardington Marezva from Zvimba, allegedly struck his son to death with a hoe and seriously injured another, after returning home drunk and accused the children of seeking food from neighbours.
Police allege Marezva was deeply disappointed by the children’s actions and struck his seven-year-old child on the head and he bled to death while his 10-year-old elder brother suffered a fractured left hand and swollen right hand.
The elder child then sought help leading to Marezva’s arrest.
In October again, a Shurugwi man, Chenjerai Mandiziva, allegedly assaulted and killed his 13-year-old son Takunda John Murahwa for innocently confirming to his mother that his father had spent the night away from the mine where they were working.
In Honde Valley, Jacob Muranganwa allegedly murdered his brother’s nine-year-old son for ritual purposes.
It is alleged that after gruesomely murdering the boy, Muranganwa harvested the minor’s private parts, arms, ears and eyes after being contracted to do so by his brother and another businessman.
Last week’s murder allegedly perpetrated by a Police Sergeant, Tichaona Chirinhe (38) based at Crime Prevention Unit of Harare Central Police Station, of his wife Julian Chirinhe (37), also a Sgt in the traffic section, that has sent shock waves in the country in general, and Chitungwiza in particular.
The accused said he shot his wife by accident and told court that he was sorry for the murder.
In September, two men stormed Chivhu Police Post and shot two soldiers, one fatally, while the other was seriously injured.
The assailants, who were armed with a pistol and two rifles, were eventually killed in a gun battle with security forces, who had cornered them in an anthill pit, about 16km along the Chivhu-Gutu road.
In July, a villager, Concern Ncube (64) of Jengwe Village 3 under Chief Mvutu outside Victoria Falls town allegedly killed his 24-year-old son with a machete accusing him of having an affair with a juvenile girl.
The accused later hanged himself at his homestead after being released on $1 000 bail.
He hanged himself when his wife had gone to Victoria Falls.
Another strange case last year was the kidnapping of a child by a Harare woman, Miriam Bwanali at Montagu Spar, in the Avenues area on October 22.
The baby was later found in Zvimba.
While the woman remains on the run amid reports she skipped the border into South Africa, her 40-year-old husband, Gift Chemhuru of Motsi Village under Chief Chirau, was arrested.
The baby was kidnapped after Bwanali allegedly insisted on helping the mother, Shani Charamanda (30), and once she got into the supermarket, the suspect vanished with the baby together with her wallet containing a Nokia mobile phone, US$2 and $45.
Online Reporter