TWO Chipinge men allegedly confessed to fatally assaulting a suspect they accused of stealing their maize-meal before stashing his body in an empty sack, and buried it in a shallow grave to conceal evidence.
Seven days after committing the heinous crime — Daniel Sithole and Cleanous Utete — confessed to murdering their neighbour, Nicholas Muyambo.
Sithole and Utete revealed how they stashed Muyambo’s body in a sack, hurriedly dug a grave that was 50cm deep, and buried the corpse in it.
Acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, confirmed the spine-chilling murder, which occurred at Farm 34 in Middle Sabi, Chipinge District last Sunday.
Assistant Inspector Chinyoka said the suspects were assisting police with investigations. He said Muyambo met his fate when he visited the suspected killers’ workstation looking for a job.
“On March 10, 2024, Muyambo went to Farm 34 to seek employment. He met the two accused persons who accused him of stealing maize-meal. He vehemently denied the allegations, but the two accused persons force-marched him to a maize field where they assaulted him with a wooden stick all over the body.
“After that day, Muyambo went missing. His elder brother, Mr Shingirirai Muyambo later made a missing person police report at Middle Sabi on March 17.
Coincidentally, on the same day, one of the suspects, Utete called Mr Listen Chikoo (24), who is an irrigator at Farm 34 and confided in him their heinous act.
“Utete confided in Mr Chikoo that they had killed Muyambo before further revealing that they stashed his body in a sack and buried the corpse in a shallow grave nearby,” he said.
Assistant Inspector Chinyoka said as Utete was confessing committing the heinous act, Mr Chikoo recorded the whole conversation using his cellphone.
Mr Chikoo went to inform Mr Passmore Muumbe of Farm 28 what he had heard.
Mr Muumbe accompanied Mr Chikoo to the area where Utete said they had buried the late Muyambo’s body. They searched the area and stumbled on the shallow grave.
After discovering the shallow grave, the two made a report to the police.
Police attended the scene and exhumed the body from the shallow grave, leading to the arrest of the suspects.
The body was in a sack and already in an advanced state of decomposition.
The body was taken to Chipinge District Hospital mortuary for post-mortem.
“We continue to appeal to members of the public to solve disputes amicably than resorting to violence which often leads to loss of life.
“We will not hesitate to bring to book culprits who decide to take the law into their own hands,” said Assistant Inspector Chinyoka. Manica Post.
