Story by Theophilus Chuma
A shocking incident of a suspected ritualist arrested in Hwata Village in Muzarabani after he was apprehended trying to kidnap a 5-year-old child, has triggered fears of a cartel involved in trading human body parts.
The little boy clings to his grandmother, firmly holding her hand for protection.
His grandmother says this is because of the trauma now faced by the young boy after he was rescued from a kidnapping attempt by a suspected ritualist while coming from school.
“He is now afraid of everything. Even going to school is now a nightmare for the child,” she says.
The details of the incident read like a horror movie, as relatives open up on what happened near Muzarabani Business Centre last week.
“My young brother saw the suspect taking the child under the bridge. He followed him and he started to run away with the child. My brother called out for help and we managed to apprehend the suspect. He then told us that he was sent by a businessman in our area to kidnap the child as they wanted to harvest his body parts,” a relative told the ZBC News.
Another explained, “We questioned the suspect and he told us that he was promised $170 for kidnapping and killing the child.”.
The episode has opened a Pandora’s Box, as residents mention other similar cases that have remained under the carpet.
“There were two cases of people who were found dead under mysterious circumstances, and another case where a child was abducted and disappeared into thin air,” a villager said.
The incident has left the community in a state of despair, even as the suspect was arrested and appeared at the Guruve Magistrates Court.
“This is an incident that happened within our area. Indeed it has left us tongue-tied due to its nature. It’s an emotional issue seeing that it is similar to what happened to Tapiwa Makore. The whole village was angry and very emotional when the suspect was arrested,” said Chief Hwata.
This case now before the courts as it was reported at Muzarabani Police Station under RRB Number 6135579.
Cases of suspected ritual murders have been reported in the country, with the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency revealing at least 40 percent of the 3 600 murder cases documented in 2022 were alleged ritual killings.
In September 2020, seven year old Tapiwa Makore of Makore Village in Murehwa was killed in a ritual murder incident that shook the entire nation.
