Story by Peter Chivhima
GURUVE serial murder suspect Anymore Zvitsva has been remanded in hospital custody after appearing in court from a hospital bed at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare, where he is under heavy police guard following injuries sustained during his arrest.
Zvitsva faces charges of murder, rape and attempted murder, with prosecutors alleging that he carried out a prolonged and calculated killing spree that claimed 19 lives across several villages in Guruve, Mashonaland Central, beginning in March 2024.
According to court documents, the alleged attacks were marked by stalking, ambush and extreme brutality, with most of the victims being women going about their daily routines; fetching water, tending cattle or walking to their fields, when violence struck without warning.
The State alleges that Zvitsva often lay in wait, watching his victims before dragging them into isolated bushland where they were overpowered. Snare wires, iron rods and other weapons were allegedly used, turning ordinary tools of rural life into instruments of terror. In several cases, the attacks are said to have occurred in broad daylight, deepening the shock felt by the communities affected.
Court papers state that Modester Isaac, of Plot 14 in Nyakapupu, Guruve, was the first victim in 2024. She was allegedly forced into dense bush, strangled and later found hanging from a tree, a scene that left villagers traumatised and fearful.
Another grim episode allegedly unfolded at Mubaiwa Village, where two women fetching water were ambushed. Both were reportedly strangled, with one of the bodies later suspended from a tree, sending a chilling message through the community.
On 7 October 2025, prosecutors allege that Alice Marangarire, of Village 3, Berris Post in Mvurwi, was attacked while searching for her cattle. Armed with a machete, Zvitsva allegedly threatened her before killing her with a snare wire, leaving her lifeless in the bush.
The court further heard that on 27 October 2025, Zvitsva allegedly ambushed Elisha Dickens Chikwavarara and Dudzai Mazuvaawanda as they walked to their garden in Mubaiwa Village. Elisha was allegedly struck and killed with an unknown object, while Dudzai was strangled and later hanged from a tree.
In one of the most disturbing allegations, Zvitsva is accused of killing five members of his own family at Ona Farm on December 14 2025, a crime that stunned even hardened investigators.
Another alleged attack occurred on December 22 at Bosha Village, where two women were reportedly raped, strangled and poisoned, leaving behind what prosecutors describe as a scene of unspeakable fear and devastation.
Zvitsva also stands accused of killing another woman at Muzura Farm using a spear, allegedly threatening her siblings while demanding valuables.
Prosecutors say the cumulative allegations reveal a pattern of premeditated violence, sexual assault and cruelty, largely targeting women and children, and plunging rural communities into prolonged fear and mourning.
Zvitsva was arrested on Saturday in a joint operation involving the Zimbabwe National Army, the Air Force of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
As he remains in custody, security forces continue investigations on the ground in Guruve, while the nation grapples with the scale and brutality of the allegations now before the courts.
