Five killed in ritual murders, mutilated bodies found

Five people were savagely murdered and their mutilated bodies found on Monday morning in Chinamhora communal lands.  

The body of Paradzai Benhura Masawi of Mungate Village was found near a bush, with head and stomach injuries. He was strangulated with his shirt. Masawi's clothes and shoes were missing.

Another person from Gombami family was found dead in the same area.

Two more bodies were also found in Sasa Village, with their genitals sliced off. The fifth body was found in Cheza Village.

Police in Chinamhora said they were probing the five murders.

Constable Onisimo Murungweni, the investigating officer, told the Daily News: "We are investigating the death of the people and we are very concerned with what is happening. These deaths are linked to the ritual murders we are investigating. People in the area should cooperate with us so that we can arrest the culprits."

The bodies were taken to Makumbe Hospital.

Reporters that visited the area found people still searching for answers to the grisly murders that have struck fear into this community.

Mourners at the funeral of Masawi were grappling to come to terms with the latest loss.

Stanford Masawi, elder brother to Paradzai, said: "We were called by the people in our village who found the dead body of my brother at Molife turn-off, and they called my family and we identified his body which had some blood and injuries."

"He had head injuries and some of his clothes were missing. We contacted the police who confirmed that my brother was murdered as there are signs that showed he was strangled to death," said Masawi.

Biata Nyamupinga, Member of Parliament for Goromonzi West constituency, expressed shock at the murders.

"What is happening in the constituency is saddening," she said.

"We hope the police and the community are going to work together to find the people who are committing these murders."

The latest murders bring to seven the number of people killed in the area since last week in suspected ritual killings.

In last week's equally-grisly killings, two bodies were recovered at Showground's Chirodzero Business Centre, while four other people who were lucky to survive were brutally assaulted at Mverechena Business Centre.

The four survivors are receiving treatment at Parirenyatwa Hospital, while Clemence Parirewa and Cephas Muchenge were buried on Friday in Parirewa Village.

In last week's killings, the assailants gouged out eyes of their victims.

The latest murders took place as six male suspects rounded up last week in connection with the two murders are still in police custody. The suspects are all from Epworth.

Fear and panic has gripped Chinamhora in the aftermath of the seven deaths within a week.