Police probe boy (9)’s ‘murder’

By Leonard Ncube

Police in Matabeleland North have opened investigations into the suspected murder of a nine-year old boy from Mbembesi after his body was found floating in a dam.

Police spokesperson for Matabeleland North Chief Inspector Siphiwe Makonese said the body of Bongani Nkomo was retrieved from Mbethe Dam in Mbembesi on Tuesday evening.

The case was initially treated as sudden death by drowning and murder investigations were opened after a postmortem report showed that the boy, who had been herding cattle with other boys, may have been strangled.

The report stated that Bongani died of asphyxia, neck constrition and strangulation by hand.

“I can confirm that we received a report about a nine-year-old boy whose body was retrieved from Mbethe Dam on March 5,” said Chief Insp Makonese.

She said Bongani was herding cattle with Mitchel Mhlanga Mthembo of the same age.

The duo swam in the dam.

Later on Mitchel noticed that his friend had drowned and ran to inform other villagers who rushed to the scene, police said.

One of Bongani’s legs was protruding above water while the rest of the body was submerged when villagers arrived at the dam, Chief Insp Makonese said.

She said the villagers retrieved the body and reported the matter to the police who attended the scene and took the body to United Bulawayo Hospitals in Bulawayo where a post-mortem was done. The Chronicle