Crimes and Courts
BULILIMA DISTRICT \u2013 A chilling discovery of human remains bearing police handcuffs, unearthed from a pit latrine near Malalume Clinic, has ignited accusations of law enforcement involvement in an alleged murder and cover-up, prompting an internal probe by Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The decomposed body, found days after villagers stumbled upon a human skull nearby, was exhumed last week in this rural border area of Matabeleland South.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Residents say the victim\u2019s wrists still bore metal cuffs resembling those used by police\u2014a detail fueling suspicions of official misconduct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLast Seen Alive in Police Custody\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Villagers, speaking anonymously for fear of reprisal, linked the remains to a migrant laborer who vanished months ago after being accused of stealing food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe worked odd jobs here until a woman reported him for theft. A local officer, who was close to her, arrested him. We never saw him again,\u201d one resident told Zim GBC News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another source claimed the man was allegedly beaten during detention:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe officer took him away, saying he\u2019d \u2018deal with the thief.\u2019 Later, we heard screams, but no one dared question it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Skull Discovery Triggers Grisly Find<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The case deepened when a skull was found near the clinic, initially dismissed by police as \u201can old, unresolved matter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, traditional leaders conducting rituals reportedly received anonymous tips about additional remains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe dug deeper and found the body in the latrine. The handcuffs told the story,\u201d a community elder said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Police Promise Transparency Amid Outcry<\/p>\n\n\n\n
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the investigation but deferred detailed comment:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA full statement will be issued tomorrow. We are treating this with utmost seriousness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Human rights groups, however, demand urgency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHandcuffs on a buried body? This reeks of state-sanctioned violence,\u201d said Khanyo Maphosa of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe need independent forensics and witness protection.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
History of Unresolved Abductions<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The incident revives memories of past alleged police abuses in rural Zimbabwe, where disappearances linked to security forces often go unprosecuted. In 2022, a Masvingo man was found dead in a dam weeks after being detained for criticizing Zanu PF officials. No arrests followed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Bulilima mourns, locals urge transparency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe want answers, not more secrets,\u201d said a village head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf the police did this, they must face justice like anyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zim GBC News\u00a92025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Crimes and CourtsBULILIMA DISTRICT \u2013 A chilling discovery of human remains bearing police handcuffs, unearthed from a pit latrine near Malalume Clinic, has ignited accusations of law enforcement involvement in… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[125],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7061","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-crime-and-court"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7061","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7061"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7061\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7062,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7061\/revisions\/7062"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}