A married man who travelled from Karoi to visit his girlfriend in Chiguhune, Gutu, was killed at her homestead on Sunday, police have confirmed.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson for Masvingo Province, Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa, confirmed the murder to Masvingo Mirror.
The victim, Abraham Mupagore of Chikuti Village in Karoi, died following a brutal fistfight with Takura Mabhugu.
After the assault, Mabhugu allegedly dug a shallow grave in a nearby maize field, dragged Mupagore’s body there and buried it.
The woman at the centre of the incident, 22-year-old Modester Fushai, is a storekeeper at Chiguhune Business Centre.
Mabhugu, who inherited a shop at the same business centre from his late father, a local teacher, was both her neighbour and her lover.
Mupagore is reported to have travelled by bus the roughly 430 km from Karoi to Chiguhune and spent the night with Fushai at the Maruvamba homestead in Chimombe Village, adjacent to the business centre.
On Sunday, the pair attended the Zion Apostolic Church, where the deceased is said to have preached to the congregation. After the service, they returned to the homestead.
It is alleged that Mabhugu arrived at the homestead having learnt that Fushai was with another man.
Fushai, who allegedly no longer had feelings for Mabhugu, introduced Mupagore as her new boyfriend.
A dispute between the two men escalated into a fierce fistfight, during which Fushai fled the scene.
Realising he was losing the fight, Mabhugu allegedly seized a shovel and struck Mupagore repeatedly until he died. Mabhugu then buried the body in a shallow grave in a maize field behind the hut.
Fushai returned the following day to find the homestead empty and Mupagore’s bag missing, though she noticed blood stains on the veranda.
On Wednesday, Fushai’s neighbour, Peter Tigere, spotted an unusual trail leading from the homestead into the maize field.
He discovered a freshly filled patch of earth that had been sprinkled with water in an apparent attempt to conceal the grave. The headman and police were alerted, and Mupagore’s body was recovered.
Mabhugu remains at large, the police said. The body was exhumed and taken to Gutu Mission Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Police have launched a manhunt and have urged anyone with information on Mabhugu’s whereabouts to contact the nearest police station.
Leave a Reply Cancel reply