Bongani Ndlovu
Bongani Ndlovu, [email protected]
THE international manhunt for British citizen Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, who has Zimbabwean heritage and is wanted by British police in connection with the deaths of his wife and two daughters in the United Kingdom, has intensified after relatives of the victims engaged private investigators to assist in tracing him.
The investigators say they are pursuing “an intelligent person” who appears to have carefully planned his movements and is deliberately attempting to evade capture.
Tshuma is wanted by Bedfordshire Police following the deaths of his wife, Nothabo Zandile Tshuma (née Khumalo), and their daughters, Natalie (15) and Nala (5), whose bodies were found at their home in Great Denham, Bedfordshire.
British police have appealed for information on Tshuma’s whereabouts, saying he left the United Kingdom on Saturday, July 4, travelling from Heathrow Airport on a British passport before the bodies were discovered.
The murder investigation was launched after officers found the three deceased at the family home. Detectives later released a CCTV image of Tshuma and said they believed he may have travelled to Zimbabwe.
Chief executive officer of Matrix Private Investigations, Mr Tafadzwa Chidawa, said the firm had been engaged by a relative of the deceased, who requested anonymity, to assist with the search.
Mr Chidawa said preliminary inquiries suggested Tshuma had meticulously planned his movements.
“From the information we have gathered from people close to him and his associates, it appears he carefully calculated his movements before carrying out what he did and in his attempts to evade capture.
“We are dealing with an intelligent person. Catching him will require advanced investigative methods. This is not a case that can be solved through ordinary investigations,” he said.
Mr Chidawa said investigators were pursuing several leads, including verifying whether Tshuma entered Zimbabwe through any of the country’s international airports.
“Our preliminary investigations indicate that he did not arrive at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare. We are now checking whether he may have entered Zimbabwe through Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport in Bulawayo or Victoria Falls International Airport,” he said.
“We were engaged by a relative who wishes to remain anonymous. They contacted us after the incident was reported in the United Kingdom and our teams immediately began following every lead available. We hope to have clearer findings by the end of the weekend.”
Mr Chidawa said reports that Tshuma had been spotted in Bulawayo had so far proved unfounded.
“There was a rumour that Tshuma was in Bulawayo and we immediately activated a team there, but it appears to have been false. The person we are dealing with is intelligent and should not be underestimated,” he said.
Mr Chidawa said investigators were also exploring the possibility that Tshuma may have travelled to South Africa instead of proceeding to Zimbabwe.
“We also have indications that he may be in South Africa, so we are working with our counterparts there to establish whether that is the case.
“It is possible that he disembarked in South Africa from his British Airways flight and never continued to Zimbabwe,” said Mr Chidawa.
He said Matrix Private Investigations was working closely with the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and would continue sharing any verified information with law enforcement authorities.
“Whenever we obtain credible information, we immediately share it with the Zimbabwe Republic Police because the objective is to locate him as quickly as possible. In a manhunt of this nature, we cannot act on rumours alone. Every lead must be verified before any conclusions are drawn,” he said.
The search for Tshuma has now widened beyond the United Kingdom, with investigators in southern Africa pursuing multiple leads as authorities continue appealing for information that could help locate him.
derick.khumalo