RENOWNED farmer, Cde Sweet Sweet, (56), was allegedly
killed three kilometres from his farm in Nyamandlovu in Matabeleland North and
his unknown killers tried to make it appear as if he had committed suicide.
Passersby discovered Cde Sweet, a Zanu-PF member in his car
on the road on Wednesday morning before alerting his employees, neighbours and
the police.
Preliminary investigations indicate that he was murdered
and his killers tried to make it look as if he had committed suicide.
Matabeleland North police spokesperson, Chief Inspector
Siphiwe Makonese, yesterday said Cde Sweet was found clutching his gun in his
right hand.
“He was found lying on his back holding his C2 pistol by
three passersby who informed a community leader who reported the matter to the
police. The detectives who were deployed to the scene observed that he was
holding his pistol with its full magazine and the gun was not even cocked
meaning he could not have shot himself. Also, there were spent cartridges at
the scene,” said Chief Insp Makonese.
Mourners sing and dance at the funeral wake for Cde Sweet
Sweet at his home in Mahatshula North, Bulawayo yesterday (Picture by Dennis
Mudzamiri)
“The officers discovered that he had stab wounds on the
head and was bleeding from the left ear yet the gun was found in his right
hand. This led police to suspect the crime scene could have been staged hence
police are treating the matter as murder and have since started
investigations.”
She said the police took Cde Sweet’s body to the United
Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) mortuary for a postmortem.
Chief Insp Makonese appealed to members of the public who
might have information that could lead to the arrest of his killers to come
forward.
The Chronicle yesterday spoke to Cde Sweet’s family at his
Mahatshula North residence and they said they were devastated by his death.
One of the relatives who spoke on condition of anonymity
said Cde Sweet could have been murdered after 12AM on Wednesday as that was the
last time they communicated with him.
The relative said the family became anxious when he did not
return home as expected.
The relative said they were shocked when cops visited their
Mahatshula North home to inform them that he had been found dead.
“What is clear is
that he did not commit suicide. He was right-handed and doctors who conducted
the postmortem said it was impractical for him to then shoot himself on the
left ear and remain holding the gun. They say he could have been shot from a
distance that is why there is no gun exit wound. He did not shoot himself, he
couldn’t have, there wasn’t anything bothering him,” said the relative.
Another relative said the family is traumatised by Cde
Sweet’s death.
“I’m not saying that he wronged anyone, I don’t know what
happened but if he had wronged someone who hasn’t? We all have wronged someone
but imagine if every time we are wronged we kill someone. The world doesn’t
work like that, people resolve differences amicably. Violence is not necessary.
This has just left us hurt as a family,” said the relative. Chronicle
0 comments:
Post a Comment