Harare — Police in Chinhoyi have picked up two teachers and a caretaker for questioning in connection with the death of a 16-year-old Chinhoyi High pupil whose body was found in the school swimming pool last Sunday morning.
Post-mortem results show that Moreblessing Musiiwa (16), whose floating body was found with a crack at the back of the head, swollen neck and bleeding from the nose and ears, died from head trauma. He also had a swollen eye.
The three are detained at Chinhoyi Central and are assisting police with investigations. Moreblessing was buried yesterday at Chinhoyi Cemetery in an emotional send-off.
Hundreds of people including his colleagues and students from Nemakonde and Chemagamba high schools were among the mourners. His classmates could not suppress their emotions and broke into tears when the hearse carrying his body arrived.
Preliminary investigations anchored on postmortem results suggest foul play in the death that has sent shock waves in the small town and surrounding areas.
Acting Mashonaland West police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Peter Zhanero confirmed the arrest of the three.
“Post-mortem results show that the boy did not die from drowning as earlier thought because the lungs and the stomach were dry and this is inconsistent with drowning.
“Foul play is suspected and investigations are in progress to establish the cause of death,” he said.
Police, he said, suspect Moreblessing was thrown into the water after he had died.
The pupil reportedly went swimming with other pupils at around 5pm on Thursday last week.
It is understood that the pupils left in a huff when the sports master arrived and punished those who did not have swimming trunks.
Moreblessing reportedly ran away and was never seen alive again. The following day pupils left the school for the traditional mid-term break.
It was only after a routine inspection of the hostels that it was discovered he had not left the school for the weekend.
A search was conducted but he could not be located. A check with his parents revealed that Moreblessing had not reached home.
It was believed he might have gone to stay with a relative in Chinhoyi’s Mzari suburb for the weekend but that was not the case.
On Sunday, a teacher who is one of the two picked up by police found the boy’s body floating in the pool.
Police initially treated the matter as a drowning but became suspicious when some teachers said they had used the pool on Saturday but the body was not there. Sources close to the investigations revealed that bloodstains were found in a small room at the pool and on the road leading to the facility.
The boy’s father yesterday said school authorities should ensure the safety of children in their custody.
“It is painful to lose a child especially at a boarding school where you expect total safety because children are kept in the school yard and only go out after getting the green light from the school authorities,” he said.
National police spokesperson Superintendent Andrew Phiri yesterday confirmed that Moreblessing was killed.
“Post-mortem results revealed that the boy was murdered before being thrown into the swimming pool,” he said.
Supt Phiri said the boy had “serious head injuries” and investigations were still in progress. The Herald