A former CCC Chiredzi councillor wanted for the alleged rape and murder of a four-year-old schoolgirl has been arrested in Chipinge, ending a 10-month manhunt.
Lovemore Muchono, 43, former Ward 19 councillor for Chiredzi Rural District, is accused of raping and murdering Steadfast Makondo, an Early Childhood Development learner at Chiredzi Government Primary School.
Acting Masvingo police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Itayi Zivhave confirmed the arrest and said Muchono did not hand himself in, contrary to reports on social media.
Police said detectives from CID Chiredzi received a tip-off that Muchono was hiding at the homestead of a relative, Solomon Muchono, in Vheneka Village under Chief Garahwa, Chipinge.
He was arrested at around midday on Tuesday and is detained at Chiredzi Police Station. He is expected to appear in court on 15 October.
The case dates back to 27 January 2026. Steadfast went missing while travelling home from school. Muchono was her school transporter and was reportedly the last person seen with her.
He initially reported her missing and took part in search efforts. Her body was found the following day in a bushy area under a Marula tree in Newtown, Chiredzi, some distance from her school, with multiple bruises.
Muchono attended her funeral on 2 February and then disappeared. He left a handwritten note in his car claiming he had forgotten to drop the child at school, left her in the vehicle with the windows closed while he went to work, and only realised at lunchtime. He claimed he then took the body to Chitsanga Hill to hide it.
Police said that account is contradicted by post-mortem results, which showed the child had been raped before being murdered.
On the same day Muchono was arrested, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission declared the Ward 19 seat vacant by operation of law, after the incumbent missed three consecutive ordinary council meetings without permission. Nomination courts will sit on 28 October 2026, with the by-election set for 28 November 2026.
More: TellZim News
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