Zim GBC News | Gender and Community
HARARE – In a chilling encounter inside the maximum-security confines of Chikurubi Prison, First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa came face to face with alleged serial killer Anymore Zvitsva, the man accused of brutally murdering 25 people in Guruve, in a bid to understand the mind behind one of Zimbabwe’s most horrific crime sprees.
Deeply moved by the murders that have left the Guruve community shattered and the entire nation reeling in shock, Dr Mnangagwa, who had previously visited affected families in Guruve, made the journey to the country’s most secure prison facility on Thursday.
Visibly shaken and struggling to comprehend the brutality of the killings, she sat across from Zvitsva, seeking insight into whether he was indeed a “human being.”
The First Lady, who said she had been troubled in mind before deciding to see Zvitsva face to face, explained that the execution of the murders was so deeply shocking that some communities had abandoned their homesteads, still unable to come to terms with the tragedy. She felt compelled to hear from the horse’s mouth.
Seated in a wheelchair, Zvitsva calmly recounted a harrowing tale of cannibalism, ritual murder, and supernatural delusions that defied comprehension. He openly admitted to cooking and eating human flesh, cutting body parts such as breasts which he sold to a local miner for rituals, and selling blood from victims to a self-styled prophet.
“When the First Lady asked me about why I was arrested, I openly admitted to my crimes,” Zvitsva said during the encounter.
“I committed crimes of killing people, rape and robberies in Guruve, Zimbabwe.”
Zvitsva described how he would burn victims’ body parts to ashes, some of which he mixed with cooking oil to use as lotion for fortune telling, while other ashes were used to construct a shop, influenced by beliefs that such acts could bring wealth. He detailed the weapons he used—a knife, spear and axe—and explained how he managed to evade law enforcement agents and villagers by walking barefoot and avoiding roads for fear of being traced.
THE FIRST KILLING
Under questioning from the visibly concerned First Lady, Zvitsva recounted his alleged first killing, which began as a simple theft born of hunger.
“It’s hard for me to understand how I started this, but what I still remember is that I was hungry and went to break into a home searching for food, but there was no one and I ended up stealing about 10 kilogrammes of mealie-meal,” he told Dr Mnangagwa.
He returned later that night, and when the homeowner confronted him, a violent struggle ensued. Zvitsva described stabbing the woman in the back.
“That is when I realised I had stabbed someone. This was when my journey of killing people began in 2024.”
Afterwards, he fled, but said the victim appeared to him in a dream.
“The day I killed her, she appeared in a dream saying ‘moto wawabatidza uyu haudzimwe yatova ngozi yakaparwa nevakuru venyu dzinza renyu hameno uchazviita sei?'” (The fire you have lit cannot be extinguished; it is now a curse committed by your elders, your lineage—I don’t know what you will do.)
CANNIBALISM AND RITUAL MURDER
In subsequent killings, Zvitsva described murdering his niece and her young child. It was after this killing that he began mutilating bodies.
“As for the mother, I then realised that there was a man who wanted breasts to boost a gold mine. I sharpened my knife to cut two breasts. After that, I also asked myself if human flesh is consumed, so I then started cutting the body into pieces and put it in a bucket,” he confessed.
Zvitsva admitted to roasting and tasting human flesh, but said his heart rejected it after one chew. He disposed of some parts at an anthill and burned others, collecting the ashes.
“So each time I would use the ashes, even when I was asleep, I could foretell what was to befall me. Even if you have money in your house, I would predict where it is hidden,” he claimed.
“The breasts I gave to Nathan Churweni, who said he would give me my money when he came back from Mozambique, but that never materialised after he heard that police were looking for me.”
Zvitsva also confessed to selling blood to self-styled prophets he identified as Junioius Kasinauyo and Gidza Dhorobha.
“There is one woman I killed and gave the blood to a prophet who gave me US$200. I don’t know what he wanted to use it for,” he said.
A LIFE UNRAVELLED
When the First Lady inquired how he proceeded to kill after his first incident, Zvitsva attributed his actions to an evil spirit.
“According to my own thinking, the evil spirit started after my first killing and never left me,” he said.
Dr Mnangagwa asked if Zvitsva used to live a normal life.
“I once lived an ordinary life and interacted normally with people before my crimes began. I am actually worried about what got into me,” he replied.
As police searched for him, Zvitsva described hiding in bushes and forests, walking carefully to avoid leaving footprints.
“I would never walk openly, I would make sure I was hiding always like someone trying to catch a wild animal,” he said.
“I would walk carrying weapons such as knives and traditional spears similar to those pictured in photos of spirit mediums like Mbuya Nehanda.”
A PLEA FOR FORGIVENESS
When the First Lady asked what his actions meant to the bereaved families, community and nation, Zvitsva offered a direct plea.
“I am Anymore Zvitsva from Guruve. I committed heinous crimes. I killed women, children and other men. May you have mercy for all my wrongdoings,” he said.
“I am trying to understand how I ended up doing these things. To all the families I wronged, may you please find it in your hearts to forgive me. Even to you, First Lady, His Excellency the President and the entire nation, I am sorry for my deeds. Find it in your hearts to forgive me.”
After his plea, Dr Mnangagwa asked Zvitsva, as he awaits judgment, what suitable ruling he thought suited him best.
“I have nothing to say. It is up to the State, which knows,” he responded.
For the communities of Guruve, however, the pain remains raw.
Homes have been abandoned as families struggle to recover from the attacks. And while Zvitsva asked for forgiveness, the memories of those who lost loved ones continue to shape the lives of families still searching for peace.
The First Lady’s unprecedented prison visit highlights the deep national trauma caused by the Guruve killings and her commitment to understanding even the most disturbing aspects of the tragedy that has befallen the nation.
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