Man found dead on river bank

THE body of an unidentified man has been found on a river bank in Mangwe District in a suspected case of drowning.

Bulilima-Mangwe officer commanding crime, Superintendent Pedzai Dzindimu, said the body of the elderly man was found on the banks of Sanzukwi River in Makorokoro Ward on Saturday afternoon.

He said investigations were underway to establish the identity of the man.

"The body of an unknown middle aged man was found lying by Sanzukwi River. We are still carrying out investigations to establish what could have happened to man, who he is and where he is from.

"We appeal to members of the public who might be missing their relative to contact the police. At the moment the body is housed at the Plumtree District Hospital Mortuary," said Supt Dzindimu.

He appealed to members of the public to exercise caution when crossing rivers during the rainy season.

Chief Hobodo whose area of jurisdiction covers the village where the body was found said it was suspected that the man drowned and was swept by the river while attempting to across it.

He said villagers in his area were not aware of the man's identity.

Chief Hobodo said he had communicated with traditional leaders from neighbouring villagers with the hope of finding his relatives.

"It has been raining heavily over the past few weeks which has left most rivers full. We suspect that this man was swept by Sanzukwi River from a neighbouring village until he reached Makorokoro area.

"The river passes through different wards and it's difficult to pinpoint where he could have come from. I have, however alerted traditional leaders from other wards to inquire with community members with the hope that his relatives could be located," he said.

Chief Hobodo said the man's body was seen by a villager who was passing by and he alerted fellow villagers.

He said the man had minor bruises on the body suspected to have been sustained while he was being tossed around by the water.

"We have a number of people of all ages who drown during the rainy season because our rivers don't have proper crossing points. Some of the bridges are dilapidated and they don't serve their purpose thereby making it difficult for vehicles to get across.

"Some children aren't able to access their schools during the rainy season because of this challenge while in the past cars have been swept away," the chief said.