TAPIWA Makore (senior), who is in remand prison for allegedly killing his seven-year-old nephew for suspected ritual purposes, is counting losses after his hut was on Sunday morning gutted by fire.
The fire occurred a few hours after police had demolished
Makore’s pit latrine and recovered skulls and some bones. On Saturday morning,
Makore led a team of detectives to the recovery of the body parts at his
homestead.
The following morning, villagers woke up to find the
thatched kitchen in flames before a police report was made.
The cause of fire is still a mystery considering no one
stays at that homestead. Officer Commanding Murehwa District Chief
Superintendent George Mugonda confirmed receiving the fire report, saying
investigations were still underway to ascertain the cause.
“We received the report on Sunday morning and some officers
attended the scene in the company of Makore, who assisted in assessing the
loss. The motive and cause of fire is yet to be established. We are still
investigating,” he said.
When The Herald arrived at the homestead, only the cracked
walls had remained. Ashes covered the floor while burnt pots, plates and cups
were all over the structures.
Rubble of the demolished toilet were scattered in the yard
while some animal skulls and other remains left behind by the detectives on
Saturday were visible on the ground.
The Herald sought a comment from Chief Mangwende who
indicated that it could be a case of arson perpetrated by some relatives who
were not happy with the boy’s murder.
“A brief I got from the village head points to arson
motivated by hatred among the family members, but police are still
investigating to establish the truth.
“The village head was called on Sunday morning when the
roof had already been burnt to ashes,” he said.
A villager who stays a few metres away from Makore’s
homestead, Mr Summer Murwira, said he noticed an unusual brightness early
Sunday morning and came out of his house to investigate.
However, like other villagers, he did not get closer to the
homestead for fear of the unknown.
“On Sunday morning around 4am, I woke up and noticed some
unusual brightness at Tapiwa Makore homestead. I also heard some unusual
sounds. While outside, I established that the hut was on fire. We just watched from a distance as no one got
closer to the homestead,” he said.
Mr Murwira said the hut was burnt hours after an earthmover
had demolished a toilet at the same homestead.
“The coincidence made us think the fire was part of a
property destruction plan at the homestead. On Saturday we had seen an
earthmover destroying the toilet. When I saw the fire on Sunday morning, I
thought it was continuation of the previous day’s exercise,” he said.
Another villager Mr Lovetty Chirimuuta said the incident
occurred when he was fast asleep and was surprised to see the damage in the
morning.
“I think it happened when I was asleep. I did not hear
anything, but I was shocked to see the hut roofless,” he said. A member of the
neighbourhood watch committee, Mr Munanga, said he got information on the fire
and immediately called the police.
“I called the police and detectives came to assess the
damage and investigate. I personally think this is an inside job. It appears
some family members, affected by the murder of Tapiwa could have started the
fire.
“But the police will investigate and get to the bottom of
the matter,” he said. Skulls and bones were on Saturday recovered from the
toilet as police intensify their hunt for the missing skull and limbs of the
seven-year-old Tapiwa Makore (Junior) who was murdered for suspected ritual
purposes.
All the recovered remains were sent for forensic tests to
determine if they are of human or animal origin and if there are linked to the
murdered boy.
Also recovered from Makore (Snr)’s house in Nyamutumbu
Village was a blood-stained tail of a yet to be identified animal.
Makore (Snr) is in remand prison awaiting trial after he
was arrested in September on charges of murdering his brother’s child with the
help of his herdsman, Tafadzwa Shamba, who is also remanded in custody and has
reportedly confessed to being involved.
Recent police investigations into the boy’s ritual murder
found that an 11-year-old boy also from Nyamutumbu Village was allegedly paid
US$5 to lure the seven-year-old from his parents’ garden to his uncle’s
homestead.
The uncle, Tapiwa Makore (Snr), allegedly gave the boy US$5
plus a T-shirt for the role he played, before warning him against disclosing
the matter to anyone. The boy allegedly handed over the money to his mother who
kept the secret.
Recently, Makore (Snr)’s brother, Thanks Makore, was
arrested in connection with the murder of Makore (Jnr), on allegations that he
was given the boy’s head and arms.
Police extensively searched Thanks Makore’s house in
Damofalls, Ruwa, although they reportedly found no remains. He has since
appeared before a Mutoko magistrate who remanded him in custody.
The two brothers and three other suspects are in remand
prison pending the completion of investigations and the probable murder trial.
Herald
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