BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA
It was a sunny day as the young Tapiwa Makore headed to the family garden to guard the lavishly growing lush green vegetables from a possible livestock invasion.
Little did he know that it was going to be his last day on earth.
On September 19, 2021, the seven-year-old boy went missing.
The whole village in Mutoko, including his uncle and namesake Tapiwa Makore (snr) embarked on a search, but it was in vain.
Tapiwa (snr) was leading in excoriating the boy’s mother, accusing her of “negligence” and failing to keep an eye on her children.
The following day, a neighbour woke up to see his dogs feasting on human flesh.
The torso was confirmed to be of the missing Tapiwa, the only son of Munyaradzi Makore from Nyamutumbu village.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Shockingly, some body parts including the head, were missing. It was clear that the boy had been murdered.
In no time, police detectives arrested a headman Tafadzwa Shamba (40) after discovering blood stained clothes in his bedroom.
Shamba confessed to have killed the boy and implicated the child’s uncle.
According to Shamba, they killed the boy for ritual purposes meant to boost their horticultural project.
The country was shocked by the chilling murder.
The boy’s other body parts were later discovered in a pit latrine and DNA tests confirmed that they belonged to the deceased.
It took six months for the boy’s remains to be buried as the family searched for his head.
The local traditional leader, Chief Mangwende had decreed that no one would be buried in his area without a head.
The decree was, however, lifted before the boy’s remains were interred beside his late grandmother during a state-assisted funeral.
Munyaradzi told The Standard he is yet to heal.
“We are still in pain. You cannot heal easily,” he said.
“Every day you are reminded of what transpired in September. It would have been better if he was buried as a complete human being.”
The family has travelled far and wide, seeking assistance from prophets and sangomas in a desperate bid to locate the deceased’s head, but their efforts have been in vain.
Two people, Shamba and his boss, Tapiwa (Snr), are facing murder charges.
The family feels the matter is taking long to conclude.
Days have passed, but the puzzle of the boy’s murder is yet to be solved.
Despite living in agony, the family is still hoping that they will get to know the whereabouts of their son’s head.
