State Media

A third suspect linked to the murder of seven-year-old Murehwa boy Tapiwa Makore (Junior) in September was arrested in Harare over the weekend and appeared in court yesterday.

Moud Hunidzarira (42) was arrested in Budiriro following a tip-off by the public and appeared before a Murehwa magistrate yesterday and was remanded in custody.

It is alleged that when the murder occurred, Hunidzarira was in Murehwa and a few days later was seen by some neighbours in Harare, cleaning an item that had blood.

Eventually the neighbours tipped-off the police, leading to her arrest over the weekend.

National police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, yesterday confirmed the arrest and said investigations were still in progress.

“The ZRP has arrested a third suspect in connection with the death of Tapiwa Makore. The suspect, Moud Hunidzarira (42), has since appeared in court,” he said.

“She was arrested after a tip-off. She was seen cleaning an item with blood, believed to be that of the late Tapiwa Makore in Budiriro, and this culminated in her arrest. We are still carrying out investigations.”

Last month, Tapiwa Makore (Senior) aged 57, the other suspect linked to the murder in the company of his herdsman Tafadzwa Shamba was arrested.

He appeared in court and was remanded in custody. Makore is the older brother to the murdered boy’s father.

When he appeared before magistrate Ms Chiedza Gatsi at Murehwa Magistrates Court facing murder charges, prosecutor Ms Paidamoyo Gutu told the court that on September 17 at around midday, Shamba lured the boy from his family garden to the home of Makore (senior), detaining him in the dining room, after giving him food.

It is further alleged that Makore joined other villagers to search for the boy till midnight and around an hour later he and Shamba carried the boy to a secluded area where Makore used a knife to cut off the deceased’s head.