Bulawayo 'serial killer' murdered best friend for $20 000

A MAN from Bulawayo who allegedly killed his friend and buried him in a shallow grave in Burnside suburb could be a serial killer as he has led police to a second body.

Rodney Tongai Jindu (25) of Glengarry suburb allegedly shot Cyprian Kudzurunga (28) from Queens Park suburb at point blank range with a shotgun on January 29 before burying the body at a vacant residential stand in the leafy Burnside suburb.

Yesterday he led officers from the Criminal Investigations Department Homicide Section to the same piece of land - Number 13 Westmount Road - where the body of his second victim, Mboneli Ncube, was discovered next to the spot where he allegedly buried Kudzurunga.

Ncube, also known as Keith, went missing on January 12 this year. He lived four houses away from Jindu's home in Glengarry suburb.

There is allegedly a third missing person who was last seen with Jindu.

Sources close to investigations said Jindu told police that he killed Ncube for ritual purposes and went on to kill Kudzurunga because he feared he would expose him after he (Kudzurunga) allegedly stumbled on evidence of the murder.

Police yesterday exhumed Ncube's mutilated body. The head, a hand and both legs had been cut off.

"He said he killed Ncube after being offered $20 000 or a Toyota Quantum by a group of omalayitsha (names withheld). He said he shot Ncube dead and handed over the body to the cross border transporters who mutilated it and gave him the remains for burial," said the source.

Ncube (age not established), was reported missing at Queens Park Police Station on January 15.

A source said Ncube's family was alerted by a report in The Chronicle on February 6 detailing Jindu's alleged cold blooded killing of Kudzurunga.

Neighbours in Glengarry said Ncube and Jindu were close friends with contrasting characters.

"Keith (Ncube) was a jovial young man, a devout Jehovah's Witness, but Jindu was a quiet person who kept to himself," said a neighbour.

It has since emerged that Jindu was targeting people whose surname is Ncube  for the ritual killings.

One of neighbours who identified herself as MaNcube said she became worried after learning from the police that he was targeting Ncubes.

"He was very nice to me. From the first day he came here, we didn't suspect anything bad from him. But learning about his actions has made me develop goose pimples on my skin. I could have been his target that is why he was so nice to me," said MaNcube.

"We're shocked that someone as young and handsome as he is, is a ruthless killer."

The Chronicle observed what looked like four empty graves at the stand where Jindu buried his victims.

It has also emerged that Jindu got a licence for the shotgun he allegedly used to kill Kudzurunga in November last year.

Ballistic reports indicate that about 36 bullets have since been fired from the gun.

There is allegedly no record of him going hunting or visiting a firing range for target practice.

He was often seen around the city centre selling second hand phones and laptops.

Meanwhile, a postmortem report has revealed that a bullet fired from point blank range went through Kudzurunga's temple and exited at the back of his head after scrambling his brains.

The second bullet, that could have been fired when Kudzurunga was already dead, went through his chest and came out through his lower back, after mincing up his internal organs.

Last Saturday, police exhumed Kudzurunga's body in a shallow grave after Jindu made indications and allegedly confessed to killing him.

He told investigators he sent a message to the deceased's mother pretending to be her son suddenly leaving the country.

Jindu also allegedly stole Kudzurunga's laptop and cellphone which he sold in the city centre.

He was arrested last Friday after making inconsistent statements to the police.

A source close to the investigations claimed that on the day of the murder, the two spent close to seven hours drinking alcohol at Jindu's house.

On their way to Jindu's place, the two bought a bottle of brandy which they drank.

After 10PM Kudzurunga then decided to walk home using a footpath linking Glengarry and Queens Park East. Jindu offered to escort him and allegedly killed him along the way.