SEX WORKER MURDERED, NAKED BODY AT BOREHOLE

Arron Nyamayaro

HOPLEY residents have appealed for police visibility following the murder of sex worker, Mary Kapuka, 26.

She was popularly known as Movado in the neighbourhood’s nightclub circles.

Movado’s body was found naked at a borehole between the police base and a school in the area on Sunday.

Her two-month-old baby’s cries woke up neighbours at around midnight.

Movado’s friend, Memory, said she last saw her with a man she could have hooked up with at around 2am.

She believes her friend was raped before being killed.

Mavado’s death came five days after another resident, only identified as Baba Nigel, a tout, was found dead in the same neighbourhood.

“I had a confrontation with a man who later hooked up with Mary,” said Memory.

“I shared this with Mary and was surprised to see the man with her.

“Upon checking a few minutes later, I failed to locate her only to hear that she was found dead, near a borehole, and she was naked.

“She could have been raped before she was murdered,” she said.

Mary’s sister, Ronas Kapuka, said residents were woken up by the baby’s cries after she was left alone in the room.

“Her two other children were at their grandmother’s house when the tragedy struck,” said Ronas.

“Upon checking, residents, including our own mother, discovered that the baby had been left alone,” said Ronas.

One of the residents told H-Metro that criminal activities and attacks on police officers had risen in Hopley in the past seven months.

“We are appealing for police visibility because criminals now take Hopley as their haven.

“The criminals have partnered with prostitutes in attacking police officers.

“A number of police officers have been attacked and one of the perpetrators is the deceased.

“She had been at the police base several times for blocking officers from arresting criminals since she was an illicit drug dealer.

“We do not know what exactly happened that led to such a gruesome murder of Mary.

“We are now living in fear at the rate at which criminal activities are increasing in Hopley,” said the resident.