Uncle and herdsman convicted over gruesome ritual murder of Tapiwa Makore
Tapiwa Makore Senior and Tafadzwa Shamba have been convicted by High Court judge Justice Munamato Mutevedzi over the gruesome ritual murder of Tapiwa Makore Jnr.
The duo will be sentenced on the 12th of July.
The murder in September 2020 sent shockwaves across the country with revelations that his body was chopped into pieces and his torso was found the following day being mauled by dogs.
Other body parts were found dumped in a pit latrine. Although the torso was buried a year later, the head remains missing.
Despite the two pleading not guilty, Shamba had earlier confessed to the murder and described in detail how it was done.
“Shamba is guilty beyond reasonable doubt as required by the law. Shamba be and is hereby found guilty for the murder of Tapiwa while Makore Snr is found guilty for the murder of Tapiwa as an accomplice,” said the judge.
“The court is satisfied that the statement by Shamba was acceptable and confirms that he committed the offence.”
He said the way Shamba explained how he sat on the boy, beheading him before cutting off his body parts and packing them shows that murder was committed.
“He explained in graphic detail. That detail elaborates his intimate details regarding commission of the crime,” said the judge.
“The first accused (Shamba’s) situation is compounded by other issues.
“He did not only confess, he made indications, he pointed to a house the boy was detained, the container which was containing the illicit brew was also found in the same house.., ”
“Accused one (Shamba’s) fate is sealed by the fact that body parts were found through his confession,” said the judge.
“The victim was detained in his house. He supplied alcohol which was used to drug the victim.
“The question which arise is if he supplied means for Shamba to commit this offence. The child was locked in his house for long hours, in fact for around 8 hrs. It is unimaginable that he wouldn’t have noticed the presence of the boy in his house,” added the judge.
