Decomposed Body Found at NUST Student Accommodation, Police Rush to Declare Sudden Death – Questions Raised About Investigative Process
By Dorrothy Moyo | ZimEye | Zimbabwean police have swiftly declared the death of Absolom Junior Mpofu, whose badly decomposed body was discovered at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) student accommodation, as a “sudden death,” with no foul play suspected. The declaration has raised serious questions about the adequacy of police investigations and the lack of forensic analysis in determining the cause of death.
Mpofu, aged 24, was found last Thursday at the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe Student Accommodation Complex in Bulawayo. NUST officials have since clarified that he was no longer a student of the university, having failed his modules in 2023. Despite the condition of the body, police seem to have reached their conclusion without conducting thorough forensic investigations.
Bulawayo police provincial spokesperson, Inspector Abednico Ncube, confirmed the situation, stating: “I can confirm that as police, we are treating the Bulawayo Student Accommodation case as a sudden death.”
Legal Concerns: How Did Police Reach This Conclusion?
Under Zimbabwean law, specifically the Inquests Act (Chapter 7:07), police are obligated to conduct detailed investigations in cases of sudden or unexplained deaths. Section 6 of the Act empowers the police to initiate an inquest if there is reason to suspect that the death was violent, unnatural, or if the circumstances surrounding the death are unclear. In this case, the discovery of a badly decomposed body would typically trigger more thorough investigative procedures, such as post-mortem examinations, toxicology reports, and crime scene analysis.
Furthermore, in S v Ncube (1988), a landmark case in Zimbabwe, the court held that authorities must exercise due diligence in investigating unexplained deaths, especially where foul play could be a factor. The decision in that case reinforced the principle that quick conclusions without proper investigations could lead to injustice, potentially allowing perpetrators of violent crimes to evade accountability.
Is Justice Being Overlooked?
The fact that the police, without any visible forensic examination or detailed inquiry, have so quickly ruled out foul play has raised eyebrows. With the body in a state of decomposition, critical evidence may have been lost, making a conclusive determination of cause of death impossible without proper forensic procedures.
This situation raises an uncomfortable question: Is it too easy to get away with murder in Zimbabwe? If authorities rush to declare deaths as “sudden” without conducting the necessary investigations, it may open the door for potential foul play to go unnoticed.
The case calls into question the capacity of law enforcement to adequately address suspicious deaths and the role of forensic investigations in ensuring justice. For Mpofu’s family and the public at large, the unanswered questions surrounding his death demand greater scrutiny.
As more details emerge, the public will be watching closely to see whether law enforcement will be held accountable for potentially bypassing standard procedures that ensure thorough and fair investigations in such tragic cases.