The Zhombe community in Kwekwe district, in Midlands province, is in shock. The lifeless and mutilated body of a popular teacher was found, with signs indicating a ritual murder. His violent death reminded the community of the reality of ritualistic murders, a feared reality which has never disappeared from the area.
Warning: the articles’ graphic details may upset readers. (webmaster FVDK).
Midlands province – Gruesome ritual murder of a teacher
Midlands province, Zimbabwe
Published: January 24, 2024 By: ZimEye, Zimbabwe
In a shocking turn of events, the tight-knit Zhombe community in Kwekwe district, Midlands province, is grappling with fear and horror following the brutal murder of Fanuel Mwale (57), a dedicated teacher at Rio Tinto High School.
Mwale’s lifeless body, discovered at the Joel Business Centre, bore signs of a gruesome ritual killing, marking an unprecedented and heinous act in Zhombe’s history. His defaced and naked form, with a face skinned and eyes and ears removed, has sent shockwaves throughout the community, prompting a desperate cry for justice.
Local authorities have launched a manhunt for the suspected killers, urging the public to come forward with any information that may lead to their arrest. The family, breaking their silence, revealed that Mwale would be laid to rest on Friday after a postmortem in Bulawayo.
“We are not doing any rituals; we are burying our dear brother, and all we wish for is our loved one to rest in peace. Everything else, we leave in God’s hands,” stated Mr. Shayne Shoko, the family spokesperson.
The ghastly details of the murder have not only instilled fear but have also forced the community to confront the grim reality of ritualistic killings. Zhombe Residents Association, led by Mr. Becare Ndebele, expressed the shock of witnessing such a callous murder, emphasizing the unprecedented magnitude of barbarism.
The community is rallying together, contributing funds to support Mwale’s burial and organizing a peaceful anti-crime march from Joel Business Centre to Zhombe Mission, where Mwale will be laid to rest. Mr. Ndebele affirmed, “As a community, we are contributing funds towards his burial as a way of showing solidarity with the loved ones.”
Chief Gwesela is contemplating a cleansing ceremony, bringing together churches and traditionalists to pray for the area and purify it from such malevolent acts. The late Mwale, a beloved teacher who played a vital role in imparting knowledge to the community, taught History and English at Rujeko Somalala High School before transferring to Rio Tinto High School. The hope now is for justice to prevail, bringing the perpetrators to book and restoring a sense of security to the shaken Zhombe community.
This time it’s not a report on a muti murder which caught my attention but a chilling story about a muti ritual going awry. The report shows how deeply entrenched the belief in muti is in local communities in Zimbabwe (and, presumably, also elsewhere) including the christian church. (webmaster FVDK)
The Deadly Deal: Hwange Man’s Quest for Instant Riches Ends in Tragedy as Muthi Kills Children and Family Members
Published: November 24, 2023 By: Audrey L. Ncube – Bizarre, Local Zimbabwe News
The quest for instant riches turned tragic for a man in Hwange after the ‘get rich quick muthi’ he got from a sangoma went awry. The muthi he obtained from the sangoma to ‘accumulate wealth’ ended up killing his children and family members.
The Ill-Fated Quest for Instant Riches
In a harrowing tale that underscores the perils of seeking sudden riches through muthi, Jekete Ncube from Kapame Village found himself ensnared in a nightmare when a muthi, intended to grant him instant wealth, brought unimaginable tragedy instead.
According to B-Metro, Ncube’s aspiration for instant wealth led him to procure a mysterious muthi, reportedly housing a python skin within a gourd. Entranced by the promise of wealth, he soon realized the muthi wielded a sinister power, one that claimed the lives of his children and family, leaving him financially destitute and emotionally shattered.
Despite the fervent belief in the muthi’s potency, Ncube’s fortune remained unaltered, casting a shadow of despair over his hopes. A source close to Ncube revealed his mounting frustration and disillusionment as the promised prosperity failed to materialize.
Confronting the sangoma responsible for the cursed muthi, Ncube, consumed by anger and desperation, demanded answers. The sangoma, unmoved by Ncube’s ire, purportedly cited patience and unwavering belief as prerequisites for the muthi’s delayed effects.
Seeking Redemption: Cleansing and Cautionary Tales
The grim turn of events caused Ncube’s family to seek spiritual help from Archbishop Emmanuel Mutumwa of the Johane Masowe eChishanu Apostolic Church.
During a cleansing ceremony presided over by Archbishop Mutumwa, Ncube made a shocking admission, disclosing his misguided quest for wealth through the cursed muthi.
Unveiling hidden remnants of the ill-fated pursuit – a cache of coins and a drum filled with maize grains – Ncube’s confession sent shockwaves through his family, igniting a maelstrom of emotions and brewing resentment toward him.
Expressing remorse and pleading for deliverance from the malevolent forces unleashed by the muthi, Ncube cautioned against the perilous allure of shortcuts to wealth, warning others against falling prey to similar ill-conceived ventures.
Although not the main focus of this website I find it useful and necessary to draw attention to this phenomenon which is based on superstition, violates human rights and creates many innocent victims – not only elderly women and men but also children, just like ritual murders.
I wish to commend Charlotte Müller and Sertan Sanderson of DW (Deutsche Welle) – see below – for an excellent article on this topic. It’s an impressive account of what happens to people accused of witchcraft and victims sof superstition. (FVDK)
World Day Against Witch Hunts: People With Dementia Are Not Witches
Witch camps in Ghana
Published: August 4, 2023 By: The Ghana Report
August 10 has been designated World Day against Witch Hunts. The Advocacy for Alleged Witches welcomes this development and urges countries to mark this important day, and try to highlight past and contemporary sufferings and abuses of alleged witches in different parts of the globe.
Witchcraft belief is a silent killer of persons. Witchcraft accusation is a form of death sentence in many places. People suspected of witchcraft, especially women and children, are banished, persecuted, and murdered in over 40 countries across the globe. Unfortunately, this tragic incident has not been given the attention it deserves.
Considered a thing of the past in Western countries, this vicious phenomenon has been minimized. Witch persecution is not treated with urgency. It is not considered a global priority. Meanwhile, witch hunting rages across Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
The misconceptions that characterized witch hunting in early modern Europe have not disappeared. Witchcraft imaginaries and other superstitions still grip the minds of people with force and ferocity. Reinforced by traditional, Christian, Islamic, and Hindu religious dogmas, occult fears and anxieties are widespread.
Many people make sense of death, illness, and other misfortunes using the narratives of witchcraft and malevolent magic. Witch hunters operate with impunity in many countries, including nations with criminal provisions against witchcraft accusations and jungle justice.
Some of the people who are often accused and targeted as witches are elderly persons, especially those with dementia.
To help draw attention to this problem, the Advocacy for Alleged Witches has chosen to focus on dementia for this year’s World Day against Witch Hunts. People with dementia experience memory loss, poor judgment, and confusion.
Their thinking and problem-solving abilities are impaired. Unfortunately, these health issues are misunderstood and misinterpreted. Hence, some people treat those with dementia with fear, not respect. They spiritualize these health conditions, and associate them with witchcraft and demons.
There have been instances where people with dementia left their homes or care centers, and were unable to return or recall their home addresses. People claimed that they were returning from witchcraft meetings; that they crash landed on their way to their occult gatherings while flying over churches or electric poles.
Imagine that! People forge absurd and incomprehensible narratives to justify the abuse of people with dementia. Sometimes, people claim that those suffering dementia turn into cats, birds, or dogs. As a result of these misconceptions, people maltreat persons with dementia without mercy; they attack, beat, and lynch them. Family members abandon them and make them suffer painful and miserable deaths. AfAW urges the public to stop these abuses, and treat people with dementia with care and compassion.
Accusations of witchcraft typically affect the most vulnerable — such as this refugee living in the DRC Image: Getty Images/AFP/F. Scoppa
Published: August 10, 2023 By: Charlotte Müller | Sertan Sanderson – DW
Witch hunts are far from being a thing of the past — even in the 21st century. In many countries, this is still a sad reality for many women today. That is why August 10 has been declared a World Day against Witch Hunts.
Akua Denteh was beaten to death in Ghana’s East Gonja District last month — after being accused of being a witch. The murder of the 90-year-old has once more highlighted the deep-seated prejudices against women accused of practicing witchcraft in Ghana, many of whom are elderly.
An arrest was made in early August, but the issue continues to draw attention after authorities were accused of dragging their heels in the case. Human rights and gender activists now demand to see change in culture in a country where supernatural beliefs play a big role.
But the case of Akua Denteh is far from an isolated instance in Ghana, or indeed the world at large. In many countries of the world, women are still accused of practicing witchcraft each year. They are persecuted and even killed in organized witch hunts — especially in Africa but also in Southeast Asia and Latin America.
Many women in Ghana are pushed to live in so-called witch camps because they are rejected by society Image: picture-alliance/Pacific Press/L. Wateridge
Witch hunts: a contemporary issue
Those accused of witchcraft have now found a perhaps unlikely charity ally in their fight for justice: the Catholic missionary society missio, which is part of the global Pontifical Mission Societies under the jurisdiction of the Pope, has declared August 10 as World Day against Witch Hunts, saying that in at least 36 nations around the world, people continue to be persecuted as witches.
While the Catholic Church encouraged witch hunts in Europe from the 15th to the 18th century, it is now trying to shed light into this dark practice. Part of this might be a sense of historical obligation — but the real driving force is the number of victims that witch hunts still cost today.
Historian Wolfgang Behringer, who works as a professor specializing in the early modern age at Saarland University, firmly believes in putting the numbers in perspective. He told DW that during these three centuries, between 50,000 and 60,000 people are assumed to have been killed for so-called crimes of witchcraft — a tally that is close to being twice the population of some major German cities at the time.
But he says that in the 20th century alone, more people accused of witchcraft were brutally murdered than during the three centuries when witch hunts were practiced in Europe: “Between 1960 and 2000, about 40,000 people alleged of practicing witchcraft were murdered in Tanzania alone. While there are no laws against witchcraft as such in Tanzanian law, village tribunals often decide that certain individuals should be killed,” Behringer told DW.
The historian insists that due to the collective decision-making behind these tribunals, such murders are far from being arbitrary and isolated cases: “I’ve therefore concluded that witch hunts are not a historic problem but a burning issue that still exists in the present.”
A picture of so-called witch doctors in Sierra Leone taken roughly around the year 1900 Image: Getty Images/Hulton Archive
A pan-African problem?
In Tanzania, the victims of these witch hunts are often people with albinism; some people believe that the body parts of these individuals can be used to extract potions against all sorts of ailments. Similar practices are known to take place in Zambia and elsewhere on the continent.
Meanwhile in Ghana, where nonagenarian Akua Denteh was bludgeoned to death last month, certain communities blamed the birth of children with disabilities on practices of witchcraft.
Screenshot – to watch the video please consult the source
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is usually the younger generations who are associated witchcraft. So-called “children of witchcraft” are usually rejected by their families and left to fend for themselves. However, their so-called crimes often have little to do with sorcery at all:
“We have learned of numerous cases of children suffering rape and then no longer being accepted by their families. Or they are born as illegitimate children out of wedlock, and are forced to live with a parent who no longer accepts them,” says Thérèse Mema Mapenzi, who works as a mission project partner in the eastern DRC city of Bukayu.
‘Children of witchcraft’ in the DRC
Mapenzi’s facility was initially intended to be a women’s shelter to harbor women who suffered rape at the hands of the militia in the eastern parts of the country, where rape is used as a weapon of war as part of the civil conflict there. But over the years, more and more children started seeking her help after they were rejected as “children of witchcraft.”
With assistance from the Catholic missionary society missio, Mapenzi is now also supporting these underage individuals in coping with their many traumas while trying to find orphanages and schools for them.
“When these children come here, they have often been beaten to a pulp, have been branded as witches or have suffered other injuries. It is painful to just even look at them. We are always shocked to see these children devoid of any protection. How can this be?” Mapenzi wonders.
Thérèse Mema Mapenzi is trying to help women and girls accused of being “children of witchcraft” Image: missio
Seeking dialogue to end witch hunts
But there is a whole social infrastructure fueling this hatred against these young people in the DRC: Many charismatic churches blame diseases such as HIV/AIDS or female infertility on witchcraft, with illegitimate children serving as scapegoats for problems that cannot be easily solved in one of the poorest countries on earth. Other reasons cited include sudden deaths, crop failures, greed, jealousy and more.
Thérèse Mema Mapenzi says that trying to help those on the receiving end of this ire is a difficult task, especially in the absence of legal protection: “In Congolese law, witchcraft is not recognized as a violation of the law because there is no evidence you can produce. Unfortunately, the people have therefore developed their own legal practices to seek retribution and punish those whom call them witches.”
In addition to helping those escaping persecution, Mapenzi also seeks dialogue with communities to stop prejudice against those accused of witchcraft and sorcery. She wants to bring estranged families torn apart by witch hunts back together. Acting as a mediator, she talks to people, and from time to time succeeds in reuniting relatives with women and children who had been ostracized and shamed. Mapenzi says that such efforts — when they succeed — take an average of two to three years from beginning to finish.
But even with a residual risk of the victims being suspected of witchcraft again, she says her endeavors are worth the risk. She says that the fact that August 10 has been recognized as the World Day against Witch Hunts sends a signal that her work is important — and needed.
Hunting the hunters — a dangerous undertaking
For Thérèse Mema Mapenzi, the World Day against Witch Hunts marks another milestone in her uphill battle in the DRC. Jörg Nowak, spokesman for missio, agrees and hopes that there will now be growing awareness about this issue around the globe.
As part of his work, Nowak has visited several missio project partners fighting to help bring an end to witch hunts in recent years. But he wasn’t aware about the magnitude of the problem himself until 2017.
The first case he dealt with was the killing of women accused of being witches in Papua New Guinea in the 2010s — which eventually resulted in his publishing a paper on the crisis situation in the country and becoming missio’s dedicated expert on witch hunts.
But much of Nowak’s extensive research in Papua New Guinea remains largely under wraps for the time being, at least in the country itself: the evidence he accrued against some of the perpetrators there could risk the lives of missio partners working for him.
Not much has changed for centuries, apart from the localities involved when it comes to the occult belief in witchcraft, says Nowak while stressing: “There is no such thing as witchcraft. But there are accusations and stigmatization designed to demonize people; indeed designed to discredit them in order for others to gain selfish advantages.”
Maxwell Suuk and Isaac Kaledzi contributed to this article.
Screenshot – to watch the seven images please consult the source
Only very recently the murderers of Tapiwa Makore were sentenced to death, yet another ritual murder became known. We will never know how many ‘muti murders’ are committed in Zimbabwe and elsewhere.
Thomas Muzenda, a 38-years old artisinal miner from Gokwe, Zimbabwe, reportedly killed his one-year old daughter to booster his mining business. He butchered her and chopped up the body to get parts for muti purposes. He then reported her missing to cover up his crime.
Warning: the following may upset readers because of its graphic contents. (FVDK).
Man killed daughter, 1, to boost artisanal mining business: police
‘The suspect confessed to the police that he killed his daughter with a knife for ritual purposes to allegedly boost his mining activities.
Shocking murder … A one-year-old girl was killed by her father in a “sacrifice”
Published: August 5, 2023 By: ZimLife
….an artisanal miner also confessed to killing his 1-year-old daughter in Gokwe to boost his artisanal mining business….
Meanwhile (…), in another incident (…), an artisanal miner has admitted to killing his daughter who is aged 1 year, 2 months.
Said the police, “On 2 August 2023, police in Gokwe arrested an artisanal miner, Thomas Muzenda, 38, of Village 17 Mupukuta, Chireya Gokwe North, in connection with the callous murder of his daughter, Nenyasha Muzenda, 1 year 2 months, who had been reported missing.
“The suspect confessed to the police that he killed his daughter with a knife for ritual purposes to allegedly boost his mining activities after approaching a traditional healer only identified as Dhumba.
“Police have since recovered the remains of the victim from a disused well at Zenda Mining area, Gokwe North.”
Man kills daughter (1), harvests body parts for rituals
Published: August 6, 2023 By: Bulawayo 24 News
In a spine chilling ritual murder, a 38-year-old man killed his daughter (1) and chopped up the body to get parts for muti purposes.
Thomas Muzenda, an artisinal miner (umakorokoza) from Gokwe, reportedly butchered Nenyasha Muzenda with a knife, then reported her missing to cover up the grisly offence.
Muzenda was arrested on 2 August 2023.
Without giving much detail, police took to twitter and said, ‘’ On 02/08/23, Police in Gokwe arrested an artisanal miner, Thomas Muzenda (38) of Village 17 Mupukuta, Chireya Gokwe North, in connection with the callous murder of his daughter, Nenyasha Muzenda (1 year 2 months), who had been reported missing.
“The suspect confessed to the police that he killed his daughter with a knife for ritual purposes to allegedly boost his mining activities after approaching a traditional healer only identified as Dhumba. Police have since recovered the remains of the victim from a disused well at Zenda Mining area, Gokwe North,” read the tweet.
A horrifying incident has unfolded in Gokwe, Zimbabwe, as an artisanal miner, Thomas Muzenda (38), has been apprehended by the police for the brutal murder of his one-year-old daughter, Nenyasha Muzenda.
Startling details emerged when Muzenda confessed to the heinous act, revealing that he took the innocent life in a ritualistic act aimed at bolstering his mining endeavours. The sh0cking incident has sent sh0ckwaves through the community, highlighting the desperate lengths some individuals may go to in the pursuit of wealth and success.
The tragic events unfolded when Nenyasha Muzenda was reported missing, prompting a police investigation in Gokwe, a region known for its artisanal mining activities. During questioning, Thomas Muzenda sh0ckingly admitted to authorities that he had murdered his own daughter as part of a ritual intended to enhance his mining business. Allegedly, Muzenda had sought the assistance of a traditional healer named Dhumba, who advised him that such a gruesome act would bring prosperity and success to his mining activities.
Following Muzenda’s confession, the police conducted a search and ultimately discovered the remains of the young victim in a disused well located at the Zenda mining area in Gokwe North. The gruesome find further confirmed the harrowing nature of the crime and left the community in a state of sh0ck and disbelief.
Meanwhile, the police are urging anyone with information regarding the murder of Clemence Mwale (30) to come forward and assist with the investigation. Mwale was fatally attacked by unknown assailants on August 3 in Dzivaresekwa, and the authorities are seeking any leads that could shed light on the circumstances surrounding this tragic event.
The arrest of Thomas Muzenda has sent sh0ckwaves throughout Zimbabwe, prompting a broader conversation about the lengths some individuals may go to in their pursuit of success. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of ethical practices and the need to safeguard vulnerable members of society. – My Zimbabwe News
The brutal death of 7-year old Tapiwa Makore not only shocked people in Zimbabwe. Also in neighbouring countries people followed Zimbabwe’s most notorious ritual murder case. After all, ‘muti murders’ are well known in Southern Africa.
The following article was written by Prof. Jairos Kangira, who writes from Namibia.
Warning: Some readers may find the following article disturbing. (FVDK).
Last month, when the Zimbabwe High Court sentenced to death the two murderers who brutally murdered seven-year old boy, Tapiwa Makore, for rituals in 2020, there was a sigh of relief in his family and among a groundswell of sympathisers in that country and internationally that had been traumatised by the horrific act of the convicts, Tapiwa Makore senior (the boy’s uncle) and Tafadzwa Shamba. Ironically, Tapiwa Makore senior killed his namesake, his brother’s son named after him.
Both the traditional media and social media were awash with stories and comments saying that the death sentence was an appropriate punishment for the two heartless men who killed Tapiwa and cut his body into parts after severing his head. That the killers cooked the boy’s head and took it to a traditional healer for muti purposes in Mozambique shows that some barbaric African beliefs in ritual killings still exist in some people’s sociocultural milieu in Zimbabwe.
The killers’ motive in kidnapping the boy and murdering him on that fateful day was to use their victim’s body parts for muti to boost a cabbage business. In normal senses, people may ask what connection there is between human body parts and cabbages which need sufficient manure, fertiliser and water, not human blood, to grow.
Senseless and irrational to think that their cabbage business could flourish by ritual killing. That the killers summoned the angels of death to play an oversight role as they butchered the innocent primary school boy for business purposes indicated the devils in them. For committing this dastardly and inhuman act, some have argued, these murderers deserved a worse punishment than the death penalty, if something like that exists. Others have argued that the two ritual killers must have their limbs cut off before they are finally hanged so that they can feel the pain before they die. This illustrates the depth of the contempt people have of these murderers.
This cold-blooded murder has led many rightful thinking people to question the sanctity and essence of human life, when a small boy can lose his life just like that to elders who should have protected him in the first place. Is life really worth living? Is life sacrosanct? Is life sacred?
These rhetorical questions come into one’s head when one hears about horrendous stories of the ritual killings of children. There are many moral verses in the Bible on what Jesus said about the care and innocence of children such as the seven-year-old Tapiwa Makore who unnecessarily had his life cut short at a tender age.
I find this verse as one of the appropriate quotes of what Jesus said about children: “If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me – to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea (Matthew 18:6). This verse pronounces a death sentence to those who do bad things to innocent children. I am not a preacher, and I am not attempting to be one here. The point I am making is that, truly speaking, the chilling murder of Tapiwa Makore is a negation of what Jesus said about treatment of children.
Instead of giving him love and kindness, the brutish elders drugged the unsuspecting boy using an illicit brew before they killed him and dismembered his lifeless body. A callous act, indeed.
When I was discussing Tapiwa Makore’s fate with my colleagues recently, we concluded that we could have faced the same fate when we were young. Each of us recounted the countless times we would be sent on errands by our parents to some remote villages on our own. We oftentimes looked after livestock in the plains and forests where we could have easily become victims of murder by unscrupulous elders from our villages or strangers.
Truly, the murder of Tapiwa Makore is like fiction. It is a story best described as hell has no fire.
Professor Jairos Kangira is a professor of English at the University of Namibia. Email address: kjairos@gmail.com
It is one of Zimbabwe’s most notorious ritual murder cases. The violent death of 7-year old Tapiwa Makore upset the Zimbabwean nation since it occurred in 2020.
Tapiwa Makore was a 7-year-old boy from Makore Village under Chief Mangwende in Murewa District, Mashonaland East Province who was brutally murdered for ritualistic purposes on 17 September 2020.
Much has been said and published about this ritual murder case, also on this site. I will not repeat the background. Interested readers can find all information by using the dropdown menu of the present site, chose the country ‘Zimbabwe’ and search for ‘Tapiwa Makore’. (FVDK).
Warning: the graphic contents of some articles may upset readers (webmaster FVDK).
There’s not much imagination needed to understand the nation-wide relief which followed the sentencing to death of the condemned ritual killers.
Read the verdict below (webmaster FVDK).
Justice Served: Tapiwa Makore’s Killers Sentenced to Death for Brutal Ritual Murder
Published: July 12, 2023 By: Tim E. Ndoro – iHarare
Convicted Murderers Face the Ultimate Punishment
In a monumental verdict that has brought a sense of closure to the grieving family and the entire community, High Court judge Justice Munamato Mutevedzi has delivered the long-awaited judgment in the brutal murder case of seven-year-old Tapiwa Makore. The accused killers, Tafadzwa Shamba (40), and Tapiwa Makore Snr (60), have been found guilty and sentenced to death. The decision has sent shockwaves throughout the nation and marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of justice for the young victim.
Court Highlights Aggravating Circumstances in Brutal Murder Case
During the trial, the court uncovered the gruesome details of the ritualistic killing that shook the nation. It was revealed that Tafadzwa Shamba, the prime suspect, and Tapiwa Makore Snr, the boy’s uncle, drugged, killed, and mutilated young Tapiwa for ritual purposes, with the intention of benefiting Tapiwa Snr’s cabbage business. The court emphasized the aggravating circumstances surrounding the murder, stating that it was premeditated and meticulously planned. The use of illicit brew as a form of torture further intensified the severity of the crime.
No Leniency for Killers Despite Pleas for Custodial Sentence
In the face of overwhelming evidence and the horrific nature of the crime, pleas for leniency from the defence were vehemently rejected by Justice Mutevedzi. The judge acknowledged the merciless actions of the accused, who callously drank alcohol after committing the heinous act, denying the grieving parents the closure they desperately sought. Justice Mutevedzi firmly stated that no amount of jail term would be sufficient considering the gravity of the offence.
Justice Mutevedzi Delivers a Landmark Verdict
The verdict has been met with a mixture of relief, satisfaction, and sadness. It brings a sense of closure to the grieving family, who have endured unimaginable pain since the tragic loss of their young son. The community, which has been closely following the trial, sees the judgment as a resounding message that such acts of violence will not be tolerated.
As Tafadzwa Shamba and Tapiwa Makore Snr remain in custody, the initiation of the death sentence looms ahead. The sentencing phase will mark the final chapter in this tragic case, providing a semblance of justice for young Tapiwa Makore Jr. and his grieving family. The nation stands united, hoping that the punishment imposed will be commensurate with the gravity of their crimes and serve as a deterrent against such heinous acts in the future.
Much has already been said and written about the notorious Tapiwa Makore ritual murder case which shocked Zimbabwe in 2020 and 2021. I have extensively reported on the brutal ritual murder of the 7-year old boy, Tapiwa Makore. See for a succinct overview my postings dated October 26, 2020 and April 25, 2021.
I ceased reporting on this murder case on October 26, 2021 but promised to continue to follow this case and to come back on this place with more news once it will have become available.
In October 2022 the two accused – Tafadzwa Shamba and the late boy’s uncle and namesake Tapiwa Makore Senior – were acquitted in a surprising turn of events. The State withdrew the charges against the two for lack of incriminating evidence.
On June 29, the High Court of Zimbabwe is set to deliver judgement on Tapiwa Makore’s alleged ritual killers. Thereafter the case wil be closed. Hence, read the following report.
For the reader who is less familiar with this notorious ritual murder case I may refer to my two postings mentioned above and to the link included in the article which follows below and which can be accessed separately here as well as after the first article below.
Warning: some readers may be upset because of the graphic description of the Tapiwa Makore ritual murder and following events (webmaster FVDK).
The slain Tapiwa Makore
High Court To Deliver Ruling On Tapiwa Makore’s Alleged Killers On 29 June
Published: June 26, 2023 By: Pindula News, Zimbabwe
The High Court is set to deliver judgement on Tapiwa Makore’s suspected killers on Thursday, reported ZBC News.
Justice Munamato Mutevedzi, who presided over the trial, is expected to hand down the long-awaited judgment, bringing the matter to finality.
The prime suspect in the matter, Tafadzwa Shamba and his accomplice, the late boy’s uncle and namesake, Tapiwa Makore Senior, allegedly killed the boy in 2020 for ritual purposes.
They allegedly killed and mutilated the then seven-year-old boy to boost Tapiwa Snr’s cabbage business.
Tapiwa was a Grade One learner at Nyamutumbu Primary School and his teacher, Keresia Makamure, described him as an intelligent, obedient child whose future was bright.
The boy was sent by his parents to look after the garden on the morning of 17 September 2020.
Later that day, Tapiwa’s parents went to the garden to do some watering and found that their son was missing.
His parents and some villagers started searching for him and the search was conducted until midnight but they could not find him.
On the following day, 18 September, in the morning, a neighbour reportedly woke up and discovered his dog and its puppies feasting on human body parts in his yard.
He then informed Tapiwa’s parents and a report was made to the police. The body’s head was missing.
Several arrests people were arrested in connection with the murder, including Thanks Makore, Tapiwa’s uncle amid allegations that he was given the boy’s head and arms.
Thanks was said to be a twin brother of Tapiwa Makore Snr, and a cousin of Munyaradzi Makore, Tapiwa Makore Jnr’s father.
On 13 October 2022, Justice Mutevedzi formally acquitted Thanks Makore and another suspect Moud Hunidzarira of the murder of Tapiwa Makore Jnr at the close of the prosecution case.
Hunidzarira of Budiriro, Harare, was arrested during the weekend of 31 October and 01 November 2020 following a tip-off by the public.
It was alleged that she was in Murewa when the murder occurred and a few days later was seen by some neighbours in Harare, cleaning an item that had blood.
However, the State withdrew the charges against the two for lack of incriminating evidence.
As the charges were withdrawn after plea, the two can never be retried using any of the evidence led during their trial.
An important background document on the Tapiwa Makore ritual murder case is the following:
Tapiwa Makore was a 7-year-old boy from Makore Village under Chief Mangwende in Murewa District, Mashonaland East Province who was brutally murdered on 17 September 2020 in a suspected ritual killing. He was the son of Linda Munyori and Munyaradzi Makore.
He was a Grade One learner at Nyamutumbu Primary School and his teacher was Keresia Makamure who described him as an intelligent, obedient child whose future was bright.[1]
Tapiwa Makore Junior was sent by his parents to look after the garden on the morning of 17 September 2020.[2]
Later that day, Tapiwa’s parents went to the garden to do some watering and found that their son was missing.
His parents and some villagers started searching for him and the search was conducted until midnight but they could not find him.
On the following day, 18 September, in the morning, a neighbour reportedly woke up and discovered his dog and its puppies feasting on human body parts in his yard.
He then informed Tapiwa’s parents and a report was made to the police. The body’s head was missing.
Arrests
Herdboy, Tafadzwa Shamba
On 24 September 2020, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) arrested Tafadzwa Shamba (40), on kidnap and murder charges in connection with Tapiwa’s disappearance and murder.[3]
Shamba, a herdboy, was alleged to have connived with two other people to kill Tapiwa, harvest his body parts, and sold them for US$1 500. ZRP spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said:
It is alleged that Tafadzwa Shamba, a herd boy in the same village as the victim, worked with the other suspects to waylay the victim in a garden. They took him to a mountain where they kept him for the whole day. They then killed him at night and one of the other suspects, who is from Juru Growth Point, took away the head leaving the herd boy with the other body parts after promising to give him US$1 500 on coming back.
Police said they recovered the blood-stained clothes Shamba wore on the day he allegedly committed the crime.
Uncle, Tapiwa Makore
Tapiwa’s uncle and namesake, Tapiwa Makore was arrested by the police on 27 September 2020 in connection with the boy’s murder.[4]
Tapiwa Senior was alleged to have worked with Shamba and a witch doctor to murder Tapiwa Junior and harvest his body parts.
Moud Hunidzarira
Moud Hunidzarira of Budiriro, Harare, was arrested during the weekend of 31 October and 01 November 2020 following a tip-off by the public.[5]
It was alleged that Hunidzarira was in Murewa when the murder occurred and a few days later was seen by some neighbours in Harare, cleaning an item that had blood.
She initially appeared before a Murewa magistrate on 02 November 2022 and was remanded in custody.
Two Murewa Villagers
Two Murewa villagers only identified as Mai Mungandire and Mai Katsande were arrested after information gathered revealed they bought human flesh from Shamba.[6]
Another report identified the two women as Joina Tangirire, who sold beer at her homestead, and a relative, Enia Tangirire.
Beulah Makore, the family spokesperson was reported as saying the two women were picked up by the police on 01 November and they both admitted that they bought meat from the alleged killer but had no idea that it was human flesh.
The two women reportedly cooked the meat and ate and were taken to Murewa police station for further questioning and were also ordered to carry the pots that they used to cook the meat.
11-year-old Boy
An 11-year-old boy from Nyamutumbu Village was allegedly paid US$5 to lure Tapiwa from the garden to his uncle’s homestead.[7]
Tapiwa Makore (Snr) allegedly gave the boy $5 plus a T-shirt for his role and warned him against disclosing the matter to other villagers.
The boy is said to have handed over the money to his mother who kept the secret.
The mother is said to have used the money to buy chicken.
He was expected to testify as a witness in the murder trial.
Uncle, Thanks Makore
Thanks Makore (56) was arrested on 10 November 2020 in connection with the ritual murder of his nephew, Tapiwa, amid allegations that he was given the boy’s head and arms.[8]
Thanks was said to be a twin brother of Tapiwa Makore Snr, and a cousin of Munyaradzi Makore, Tapiwa Makore Jnr’s father.
Tafadzwa Shamba’s Confession
On 29 September 2020, Shamba reportedly told detectives he killed the boy by cutting off the head with a knife in the dead of the night, while the boy’s uncle, Tapiwa Senior was holding a torch.[9]
He said after the murder, he carried a black plastic bag containing the head and the dismembered body while his employer, Tapiwa Makore Senior, carried another bag containing the arms and legs.
Shamba also revealed that he kidnapped the boy, took him to his employer’s house, fed him and then drugged him with kachasu and locked him up in a room for hours.
He said around midnight, he carried the boy to a mountain in the village where they killed him.
Shamba said after killing the boy, they went down the mountain and along the way, he dumped the torso near Summer Murwira’s homestead.
He said they took the head to Makore’s homestead where they put it in one of the rooms.
The following day, Shamba said he dumped the arms and legs at a nearby grave.
Tafadzwa Shamba’s Retraction
During his court appearance, Shamba disowned the confession he had allegedly made to the police soon after his arrest.[10]
He claimed that he made indications under duress on how he killed Tapiwa, adding the police had crafted the narration to suit what they wanted.
But High Court Judge Justice Munamato Mutevedzi on 10 October 2022 ruled it was clear that Shamba was not forced into giving his account of events. Ruled the judge:
He (Shamba) gave indications under the belief that the second accused wanted him to go to prison so that he could enjoy the benefits of the cabbage deals they intended to benefit from after killing the minor for rituals.
It is the court’s view that his story is preposterous, he wanted to show the court that his indications were rehearsed, but positive results came out from the confessions as it led to the recovery of the body parts. If it was rehearsed the police would not have recovered the body parts.
His explanation that he wanted to exonerate himself by incriminating the second accused does not make sense.
Thinking he was exonerating himself by confessing is stupidity in the highest order, the daftness he tried to show in court was not believable.
Tapiwa’s Burial
Tapiwa was buried on 27 March 2021, about six months after his gruesome murder. He was buried without his head after the police failed to locate it.[11]
His funeral was attended by scores of people who included politicians from ZANU PF, among them Mashonaland East Minister Apollonia Munzverengwi, Housing Minister Daniel Garwe, Chief Mangwende and Murewa senator and ZANU PF Politburo member, David Parirenyatwa.
His father, Munyaradzi, was the MDC Alliance branch chairperson in Murewa North.
Thanks Makore, Moud Hunidzarira Acquittal
On 13 October 2022, High Court judge Justice Munamato Mutevedzi formally acquitted Moud Hunidzarira and Thanks Makore of the murder of Tapiwa Makore Jnr at the close of the prosecution case.[12]
The State withdrew the charges against the two for lack of incriminating evidence.
As the charges were withdrawn after plea, the two can never be retried using any of the evidence led during their trial.
However, the prime suspects, who allegedly did the actual killing, Tafadzwa Shamba and Tapiwa Makore Snr, were placed on their defence after the court found there was overwhelming evidence linking them with the murder.
The following article contains an interesting glimpse into a micro-world of superstition, murder – ritual murder – , traditional practices and social codes. It also shows that the phenomenon of ritualistic killings is old. Even before the cited 1982 case these traditional, criminal and revolting practices occurred in Zimbabwe (as in other countries).
Hence, so far no news. But isn’t it time that these ancient practices disappear? There’s no place for ritualistic murders and related crimes in the 21st century. (webmaster FVDK)
Stranger Than Fiction – Body Parts Retrieved 41yrs Later
Published: April 2, 2023 By: ZWNEWS
THE popularly used ‘stranger than fiction’ phrase was brought to life this afternoon in Mutasa after the alleged private parts of a man who was allegedly murdered for rituals 41 years ago were retrieved from under a disused shop.
When The Manica Post news crew arrived, hundreds of villagers in Maondo Village and other neighbouring villages under Chief Mutasa had come out in their numbers to witness the retrieval of private parts, eyes and tongue which were alleged to the late Tukai Kujeke’s from the Dangarembwa shop at Maondo Business Centre.
Kujeke was allegedly murdered in 1982 and buried with missing body parts.
It is alleged that he was murdered by Oneday Manyarara and James Dangarembwa, who are both now late and whose families appeased Kujeke’s avenging spirit with seven cattle each this afternoon.
Led by Nyanga traditional healer, Sekuru Shingirai Mukotsanjera, the retrieval team found the parts in a small calabash, about two metres deep just outside the Dangarembwa shop.
Afterwards, the body parts were taken to the cemetery where Kujeke’s body was buried and were also placed in his grave to rest with his body.
The shop, which has been unused for years, is alleged to have been haunted by the late Kujeke’s spirit since the 80s.
Leo Igwe does not need any introduction. Multiple times I have posted articles on this indefatigable human rights champion. See e.g. my October 25, 2021 posting.
The belief in witchcraft and the weak rule of law in many African countries contribute to mob justice (or ‘jungle justice’ as this popular act is also called) and lynchings of perceived witches. In Kenya e.g., as in many other African countries, mob justice is criminal. Nevertheless, up to five incidents are reported (!) weekly in this East African country. The reader may guess what happens in other African countries… (FVDK).
Witchcraft Persecution and Advocacy without Borders in Africa
Published: March 3, 2023 By: This Day – Nigeria
The Advocacy for Alleged Witches urges Africans to campaign against abuses linked to witchcraft beliefs everywhere. This call follows the rescue of Nigerian nationals, who were accused of witchcraft in Kenya. As reported, the police rescued these Nigerians in Thika Town in Kiambu County. It was stated that an angry mob beat and almost lynched them while they were performing some rituals. These Nigerians claimed that they were conducting some prayers. It was not stated the kind of prayers that they were conducting. The police intervened, resisted the mob, and took these nationals, who sustained some injuries, to a nearby hospital.
The Advocacy for Alleged Witches commends the Kenya police for intervening and rescuing these foreign nationals. As in many parts of Africa, witchcraft accusation is a killer phenomenon, and a death sentence. These foreign nationals were fortunate. Police rescued them. In many instances, the police arrive late, after the damage has been done.
Recently, Kenya recorded incidents of witch persecution and killing. Last week, two elderly women, accused of witchcraft, were lynched in Murang’a County. There is still no information regarding the arrest and prosecution of suspected perpetrators of this heinous crime. In other African countries, such as Ghana, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, accusations of witchcraft and witch persecution take place. Alleged witches have been attacked, killed, or banished. However, in most cases, locals are the target.
People often accuse members of their neighbors, members of their family or community. This incident draws attention to the fact that foreigners are also at risk of being accused. Africans should look beyond their borders in advocating against witchcraft-linked violations. People often demonize strange and unfamiliar prayer and ritual forms. They regard them as evil, as invocations of occult harm. African Christians and Muslims have been indoctrinated to demonize, occultize and witchcraftize religious others, especially traditional religions or any ritual forms that deviate from religion, as they know it.
As this incident has illustrated, those who conduct prayers and rituals that depart from local norms are at risk of being accused of witchcraft and evil magic. Witchcraft accusation is a threat to the lives of Africans everywhere. Africans should not look the other way as alleged witches are attacked and killed in other countries. They should know that everyone is at risk of being accused or killed for witchcraft, whether you are a local or a foreigner. Africans should strive to advocate against witchcraft accusations and witch persecution without borders.
