Hooker gang raped, brutally murdered

A 24-YEAR-OLD Dangamvura hooker was allegedly gang raped and brutally murdered by unknown assailants during the wee hours of Tuesday.

Information available showed that the lady, only identified as Tatenda or Mai Matwins, was coming from Mangenje Nite Club at around 2am when she met her fate.

According to friends, Tatenda resided at an open space near GMB Turn-off.

Her body was stashed in between green shrubs just outside House Number 346, Area 14. Her face was bruised and had traces of blood, while her neck had fingernail scratches.

A black jacket, pink purse and a red undergarment were found in a gulley a few metres from her body.  Scores of shaken residents jostled to catch a glimpse of Tatenda's body. This almost caused a traffic jam along the busy road as passing motorists as well as those in commuter omnibuses wanted to view the woman's body.

Deputy Manicaland provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Luxson Chananda said they were digging deep into the matter to ascertain the actual cause of her death.

"We are investigating the matter. One Patience Mutiya submitted that she last saw Tatenda in the company of David Mugiya, a 34-year-old man from the same neighbourhood, during the night.

"She was later seen at around 2am by another woman, Musenzi Murimu, standing at Beta Bus Stop," he said. In an interview at the murder scene, Ruiza, Tatenda's best friend and "workmate", said she last saw her the previous night when they were in Mangenje Nite Club looking for clients.

"Tanga tiri kubasa and I left her at around 10pm. I asked her to come with me to my place, but she insisted on remaining behind. A man I can't remember gave her a black jacket and I left her with three other guys. I woke up at around 7am only to hear that my friend had been brutally murdered. We stayed together as sisters at our house in Area 13 for close to three years and the news came as a shock to me.

"I can't believe that she is gone and I hope police will do everything bring the culprits to book. We are all convinced that she was murdered," she said, struggling to compose herself.

Another resident, who declined to be named, but confirmed being a hooker, said there were four suspicious men who were seated by the roadside near Dangamvura Primary School, adjacent to Mangenje Bottle Store and other shops the previous night.

"At around midnight, she left the bar insisting that she wanted to go back home (near GMB Turn-off). We tried to convince her to sleep in Dangamvura since there was no transport, but she insisted on going. She was sober and as usual, she went out and I remember that about four men, whom I don't even know their faces were seated a few metres away near Dangamvura Primary School. We assumed she was safe, only to hear this morning (Tuesday) that she had breathed her last," she said.

Tatenda, according to her friends hails from Rusape and is survived by twins, one of them only identified as Privy.

Said one resident: "We heard someone screaming at around 2 am, but we thought it was nothing serious. It is too late to say, but we should have done something."

The murder scene also had its fair share of drama after a suspected mentally challenged man grabbed the phone of one of the police detectives who were combing the area for clues and took to his heels.

Residents gave a spirited chase and the detective managed to recover his phone.