HELL broke loose in Hobhouse high-density suburb of Mutare on Monday, with irate neighbours baying for the blood of a step-mother who allegedly bludgeoned a teenager to death and faked suicide as a cover-up.
Ishmael Chishakwe (13), who was a Grade Seven learner at
Sheni Primary School in Dangamvura, had visited his father and stepmother at
their Hobhouse lodgings when he allegedly committed suicide in the bathroom,
something neighbours dismissed as the boy was always on the receiving end of
his step-mother, Precious Chishakwe’s ire.
Residents and neighbours who suspected foul play in
Ishmael’s death bayed for Precious’ blood, demanding an explanation on what had
transpired as they claimed that circumstances of his death were not tantamount
to suicide.
Ishmael’s father, Tapfumaneyi — an officer with the
Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) — was at home when the
teenager died and was reported to have been at sixes and sevens to narrate the
events of the day.
Police could neither confirm nor deny that it was a murder
case and said investigations were in progress.
“We can confirm that the boy was found dead in a suspected case
of suicide in Hobhouse on Monday afternoon. However, investigations are in
progress,” said Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luxson
Chananda.
A neighbour who managed to force her way into the house
after the Chishakwes had locked themselves inside their rented premises who
spoke on condition of anonymity, said she saw Ishmael’s body in an empty
bathroom tub, while a sponge that was around his neck was hanging from the tap.
She queried why a teenager would commit suicide using a soft
sponge. Neighbours also said it took more than an hour for police who are
stationed less than 200 metres from the Chishakwe lodgings to be alerted of the
incident.
Another neighbour, Ms Sara Chakuhwa, alleged that the
couple wanted to keep the death as a secret and had already initiated processes
of ferrying the corpse to their rural area when Tapfumaneyi was overheard
talking to someone over the phone.
“He was overheard by someone informing a relative of
Ishmael’s death and their decision to ferry the corpse to their rural home.
They wanted to keep the death under wraps, but it was all over the
neighbourhood within minutes, prompting neighbours to besiege the house
demanding the truth,” said Ms Chakuhwa.
She said Ishmael’s body had switch marks all over,
allegedly inflicted by his step-mother’s beatings.
“I was outside when I heard the step-mother (Precious)
calling the boy and shouting: ‘Idiot, unoda kudeedzerwa chikafu, unotenga
chikafu pano here iwe. (You want me to always call you to come and eat, do you
buy any food here?) Within 20 minutes, the child was dead and who can buy these
suicide lies?
“I quickly rushed to their house and asked the stepmother
if I could view the child. My intention was to render him first aid, but I was
denied access. Precious told me that she was scared to go into the bathroom
where the body was,” said Ms Chakuhwa.
Another neighbour who managed to view Ishmael’s body before
it was taken to the mortuary for a post mortem by the police, said it was clear
that the body was dragged into the bathroom.
“Precious told me that she was informed by a niece who was
at the house that Ishmael had committed suicide. It is, however, shocking that
anyone would believe that the child committed suicide in that bathroom, as tall
as he was.
“He had marks on his neck and there was no water, towel or
soap in the bathroom to corroborate their claim. His was just lying in an empty
tub with his eyes open,” she said.
Ishmael’s former teacher, Mrs Victoria Chimonyo, said the
teenager was staying with his aunt in Dangamvura after fleeing from abuses at
the hands of his father and step-mother.
She said Ishmael had resorted to be a street urchin on
countless occasions.
“I taught him when he was in Grade 5. Ishmael was a
hardworking learner, but he was staying in an abusive environment. When I
taught him, he was usually late and at most times, he would ran away from home
to become a street kid at Sakubva Musika. Her aunt decided to take custody of him,”
said Mrs Chimonyo.
In an interview, Precious distanced herself from Ishmael’s
death. “I was not there when the incident happened. I was told by my niece who
was here that Ishmael had been instructed by his father to take a bath when he
committed suicide. His father was reading a novel in the dining room. The boy
took long to come out of the bathroom and when a follow-up was made, it was
discovered that he had died. He might have been choked by a sponge which was
around his neck. I could not entertain our neighbours at that time because I
was still in a state of shock,” said a teary Chishakwe.
Efforts to contact Tapfumaneyi proved fruitless as he was
said to be busy with Ishmael’s burial arrangements. Manica Post
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