Jonathan Moyo daughter's murder 'suspect' to hand himself to police

SOUTH African authorities yesterday issued a death certificate and released the body of Zanele Moyo to her family, beginning the process of repatriating her body for burial in Zimbabwe.

Zanele, 20, the daughter of Higher and Tertiary Education Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo, was found dead in her apartment in Cape Town last Saturday morning.

The University of Cape Town student was found by a friend fully clothed, slumped face down in a bath tub. She had injuries to her head and had bled from the nose, her family said.

The death certificate issued yesterday did not show a cause of death, indicating only: "Under investigation". Investigators have identified a Zambian man known only as Stephen as a person of interest in Zanele's death. He was the last person to see her alive on Wednesday night last week.

Police are also keen to speak to Stephen's friend identified as Leo, also Zambian, who is thought to have introduced him to Zanele three weeks ago. Results of a post-mortem were not released yesterday as expected - but both investigators and Zanele's family have pinned their hopes on the medical examination to establish what killed the first year Political Science, International Relations and Gender Studies student.

Prof Moyo arrived in Cape Town on Sunday, accompanied by family friend and businessman, Phillip Chiyangwa, and lawyer Terrence Hussein. The minister has been joined by his son-in-law Tafadzwa Wakatama and daughter, Nokuthula. The group is receiving help from Zimbabwe's consul general in Cape Town, Boniface Mugobogobo.

Chiyangwa, speaking by phone from Cape Town yesterday, told The Chronicle that he had "activated" his contacts in South Africa and Zambia to track down Stephen. The property magnate said: "He told me that he was not running away but was in Zambia to bury his father. He promised to hand himself over to Cape Town police by Friday.

"I made him call the investigating officer to repeat that promise and I hope for his sake he's not selling us a dummy because I've means to extract him from Zambia should he fail to return to Cape Town." Stephen, according to Chiyangwa, was tracked down using the mobile phone of a woman known to him only as Princess, who is said to be his girlfriend.

Chiyangwa defended his actions, insisting he was not interfering with a live police investigation. "It's common cause that South African police have quite a lot on their plate when it comes to crime and investigations. "We've full confidence in the police, but where we can help we won't hesitate - just like any parent would do," he explained.

Zanele's high school friend, Nicole Bento, has told investigators that she visited her on Wednesday, October 14, and found her in the company of Stephen. Zanele also told her friend that Stephen was taking her out for dinner that evening. But later that night, at around 9PM, Nicole answered a call from Stephen, who was using Zanele's phone, asking her if she could come and lock up her apartment because Zanele was "passing out".

Nicole was unable to go over to Zanele's flat, and it is suspected she died that night - although her body would not be found until Saturday when her frantic mum back in Zimbabwe insisted that her door be forcibly opened after failing to establish contact with her for days.

Nicole and a locksmith walked into the grim scene before alerting the police. Chiyangwa said they expected South African authorities to issue an "export permit" for Zanele's body to finally leave South Africa today, while back home a local funeral parlour which would receive the body needed to secure an "import permit". "We're working flat out to bring our baby home," Chiyangwa said. "At the latest we expect to leave by Wednesday."