News / National
Fugitive killer guard in threatening calls
18 Jan 2014 at 06:14hrs | Views
WANTED . . . Joseph Zvikumva
33-YEAR-OLD Fugitive Mavhudzi High School guard Joseph Zvikumva, who callously shot and killed his subordinate Itai Mutasa at close range accusing him of dating and siring a child with his widowed live-in girlfriend Fiona Muchichwa, is allegedly phoning the woman threatening to come back to kill her and the baby.
The threats were so intense that they prompted Muchichwa (45) to go into hiding.
Muchichwa, a widow of two years, was dating both Zvikumva and Mutasa openly.
She courted the wrath of Zvikumva by declaring to him that the nine-month-old baby - at the centre of paternity wrangle between him and Mutasa - belonged to the shot victim.
Zvikumva, of Gurure Village, under Chief Makoni, Nyazura, could not stomach such humiliation and pumped a bullet into Mutasa's lower abdomen, killing him instantly. He also shot and injured Nyaradzai Marange (55) on the shoulder as he charged towards Muchichwa.
Marange's injuries are so bad that she faces months in a plaster.
The incident occurred on January 8 at around 8pm.
The Manica Post has established from sources at the school that while both Zvikumva and Mutasa were married, they had a long-standing dispute over Muchichwa.
"She was seeing the two at the same time and what is shocking is that none of the two guards was prepared to give up on her. Instead, both were boasting of it and claiming paternity of the nine-month-old baby.
"This tragedy could have been averted had she exercised restraint. It was suicidal for her to date workmates openly like that. Things went haywire when she told Zvikumva that the baby he was bragging about having fathered actually belonged to Mutasa. He could not stomach it and confronted Mutasa, who stoked the fires by claiming that the baby bore his resemblance," explained a teacher at the school.
Another source added: "She has since applied for a special leave and has gone into hiding. Ever since the tragedy, she has been receiving threatening phone calls from Zvikumva. He has been calling her and other guards threatening to come back and kill her and the baby. She fears for herself and the child's life, hence her decision to go on a sabbatical. She left the school under escort."
The tragedy, which resulted in the deferment of the induction of Form Ones, has been partly blamed on the school's lack of strictness on the issuance and use of firearms.
"There is chaos at this place and the authorities have assumed the role of spectators even in the face of the horrific drama that we witnessed. On the day in question, Zvikumva was not supposed to have a gun because his role was merely to supervise the night watchmen. How did he end up with that gun? Who authorised him to have the gun at the expense of the guards on duty?" queried the source.
Manicaland provincial police spokesperson Inspector Enock Chishiri said investigations were continuing.
Insp Chishiri said Zvikumva was wanted on murder and attempted murder charges.
The matter is being handled by CID Rusape.
The Manica Post has established that Mutasa reported for duty at 6pm and was tasked to patrol the teachers' residence with Tungamirai Demawatema (38) by the fugitive.
At about 8pm, Zvikumva approached the unsuspecting two guards at the main gate.
He was armed with a shotgun (serial number 96058301).
He charged at the late Mutasa, demanding to know why he was cheating "with his wife, Muchichwa".
Mutasa brushed him aside. Demawatema said Zvikumva pointed the gun at Mutasa and said to him: "pako pakuperera".
"When he pointed the shotgun at Mutasa, I sensed danger and ran away towards the administration office. I saw Mutasa charging towards the guard room. As I took to my heels, I heard a gunshot," said Demawatema.
The guard rushed to the school quarters to call for help and informed a fellow guard, Ali Mike, and the school matron, Elizabeth Toungana.
"We rushed back to the main gate and found Itai lying helplessly, with blood oozing from the lower part of his abdomen. He was already dead and his guts were protruding through a gun wound on the lower part of the abdomen. The suspect had already vanished into the darkness," added Demawatema.
Another source added that after killing Mutasa, Zvikumva went to Muchichwa's house.
"The gun had four rounds of ammunition. His next target was Muchichwa. He met her at Gilbert Dzvimbo's residence. He demanded that she go to her house, but on seeing the gun and hearing the harsh tone of his voice, she sensed danger and fled into Dzvimbo's house," he said.
Zvikumva charged towards her. He was, however, grabbed from behind by Muchichwa's 16-year-old son, Happymore Tarutira.
The boy dragged him out of the house and a scuffle ensued. The loaded gun accidentally discharged and the stray bullet hit Mrs Marange on the right shoulder. Her condition was delicate.
After freeing himself, Zvikumva sped off to his Gurure home in his old green BMW car (647-266Z) where the murder gun was recovered hidden in the car, while one live ammunition and three cartridges were picked hidden on a tree about two metres from the BMW. Mutasa was set to be buried on Wednesday.
The threats were so intense that they prompted Muchichwa (45) to go into hiding.
Muchichwa, a widow of two years, was dating both Zvikumva and Mutasa openly.
She courted the wrath of Zvikumva by declaring to him that the nine-month-old baby - at the centre of paternity wrangle between him and Mutasa - belonged to the shot victim.
Zvikumva, of Gurure Village, under Chief Makoni, Nyazura, could not stomach such humiliation and pumped a bullet into Mutasa's lower abdomen, killing him instantly. He also shot and injured Nyaradzai Marange (55) on the shoulder as he charged towards Muchichwa.
Marange's injuries are so bad that she faces months in a plaster.
The incident occurred on January 8 at around 8pm.
The Manica Post has established from sources at the school that while both Zvikumva and Mutasa were married, they had a long-standing dispute over Muchichwa.
"She was seeing the two at the same time and what is shocking is that none of the two guards was prepared to give up on her. Instead, both were boasting of it and claiming paternity of the nine-month-old baby.
"This tragedy could have been averted had she exercised restraint. It was suicidal for her to date workmates openly like that. Things went haywire when she told Zvikumva that the baby he was bragging about having fathered actually belonged to Mutasa. He could not stomach it and confronted Mutasa, who stoked the fires by claiming that the baby bore his resemblance," explained a teacher at the school.
Another source added: "She has since applied for a special leave and has gone into hiding. Ever since the tragedy, she has been receiving threatening phone calls from Zvikumva. He has been calling her and other guards threatening to come back and kill her and the baby. She fears for herself and the child's life, hence her decision to go on a sabbatical. She left the school under escort."
The tragedy, which resulted in the deferment of the induction of Form Ones, has been partly blamed on the school's lack of strictness on the issuance and use of firearms.
"There is chaos at this place and the authorities have assumed the role of spectators even in the face of the horrific drama that we witnessed. On the day in question, Zvikumva was not supposed to have a gun because his role was merely to supervise the night watchmen. How did he end up with that gun? Who authorised him to have the gun at the expense of the guards on duty?" queried the source.
Manicaland provincial police spokesperson Inspector Enock Chishiri said investigations were continuing.
The matter is being handled by CID Rusape.
The Manica Post has established that Mutasa reported for duty at 6pm and was tasked to patrol the teachers' residence with Tungamirai Demawatema (38) by the fugitive.
At about 8pm, Zvikumva approached the unsuspecting two guards at the main gate.
He was armed with a shotgun (serial number 96058301).
He charged at the late Mutasa, demanding to know why he was cheating "with his wife, Muchichwa".
Mutasa brushed him aside. Demawatema said Zvikumva pointed the gun at Mutasa and said to him: "pako pakuperera".
"When he pointed the shotgun at Mutasa, I sensed danger and ran away towards the administration office. I saw Mutasa charging towards the guard room. As I took to my heels, I heard a gunshot," said Demawatema.
The guard rushed to the school quarters to call for help and informed a fellow guard, Ali Mike, and the school matron, Elizabeth Toungana.
"We rushed back to the main gate and found Itai lying helplessly, with blood oozing from the lower part of his abdomen. He was already dead and his guts were protruding through a gun wound on the lower part of the abdomen. The suspect had already vanished into the darkness," added Demawatema.
Another source added that after killing Mutasa, Zvikumva went to Muchichwa's house.
"The gun had four rounds of ammunition. His next target was Muchichwa. He met her at Gilbert Dzvimbo's residence. He demanded that she go to her house, but on seeing the gun and hearing the harsh tone of his voice, she sensed danger and fled into Dzvimbo's house," he said.
Zvikumva charged towards her. He was, however, grabbed from behind by Muchichwa's 16-year-old son, Happymore Tarutira.
The boy dragged him out of the house and a scuffle ensued. The loaded gun accidentally discharged and the stray bullet hit Mrs Marange on the right shoulder. Her condition was delicate.
After freeing himself, Zvikumva sped off to his Gurure home in his old green BMW car (647-266Z) where the murder gun was recovered hidden in the car, while one live ammunition and three cartridges were picked hidden on a tree about two metres from the BMW. Mutasa was set to be buried on Wednesday.
Source - Manicapost
