A GWERU soldier based at the Zimbabwe National Army’s 5 Brigade base in Kwekwe was last week brutally murdered by a group of unidentified men suspected to be gold panners who allegedly chopped his body into pieces before putting his remains in a sack and throwing them on a railway line.
The incident occurred on 12 December this year when Leornard Dumbu (28) of Mkoba Village 14 in Gweru died after he was chopped into pieces by a group of unidentified men suspected to be gold panners following a misunderstanding during a beer drink at Battle Fields shopping centre in Kwekwe.
The men allegedly threw Dumbu’s remains on a railway line after packing them in a sack.
Dumbu was later discovered by passersby after he was reported missing at 5 Brigade.
Witnesses said Dumbu had a misunderstanding with a group of amakorokoza which degenerated into a fight.
The witnesses said Dumbu went missing following the altercation with the gold panners.
“Dumbu went to Battlefields where he was drinking with other patrons. He had a misunderstanding with some imbibers who are suspected to be gold panners.
“Dumbu then went missing following the altercation with the gold panners. His remains were later discovered by passersby on a railway line near Battlefields in Kwekwe packed in a sack. His body was chopped into pieces,” said the witnesses.
When Sunday News went to his funeral, friends and relatives who had come to bid farewell to Dumbu could not view the body before burial because his remains were in pieces.
Dumbu’s uncle Mr Leonard Tawanda Mzembi confirmed his nephew was brutally murdered by unidentified men at Battlefields.
“The information that we have is that he went to Battlefields for a beer drink. He was last seen alive there before his remains were found along a railway line the following morning chopped into pieces. The incident occurred last week Friday. His remains were removed by police from the scene.
“We are suspecting foul play and we hope that the culprits will be hunted down and face the full wrath of the law,” he said.
Mr Mzembi said the family was still failing to come to terms with the horrendous incident.
The victim’s brother, Nyasha Dumbu, who was almost in tears when he narrated the ordeal, said the family was left embittered by the tragic incident.
“I was deeply saddened and pained by the loss of my brother. I am still failing to come to terms with this incident,” he said.
Police could neither deny nor confirm the incident. Acting Midlands police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende said she was not aware of the incident.