News / National
Murder of taxi driver under probe
10 Oct 2023 at 05:55hrs | Views
Police in Beitbridge are now treating the death of a taxi driver as a homicide after discovering his mutilated body on Friday along the Beitbridge to Bulawayo road.
The victim, identified as 42-year-old Morgan Gangata, had been reported missing by his employer a day earlier.
According to Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo, the police officer commanding Beitbridge district, Gangata's lifeless body displayed injuries on the right lower leg, wounds behind the left knee, wounds on the left thigh, and signs of bleeding from the mouth and nose. His body was discovered near his work vehicle, a Honda Fit he used for his taxi services.
Initially, the case was treated as that of a missing person until a villager from Malala stumbled upon the body in the bush.
Chief Supt Nyongo explained, "The deceased used to transport students from Dulivhadzimu to a local primary school. His employer became concerned when he didn't show up for work on Wednesday, and they couldn't reach him via his cellphone until Thursday."
A missing person report was filed with the police, and on the following day, information surfaced about an abandoned Honda Fit in the middle of the road at the 311 km mark along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Highway near Naude Quarry, Beitbridge.
Detectives, along with the car owner's identification, arrived at the scene, where they found the vehicle suspiciously parked in the middle of the road, facing the Gwanda direction. All doors were closed but not locked, and the key was still in the ignition. There were bloodstains on the left rear passenger door.
Despite efforts to contact Gangata and check local hospitals, no leads emerged. On Friday, a villager from Malala discovered the body approximately 50 meters from the Beitbridge to Bulawayo Highway, prompting the police to initiate an investigation into what they are now considering a murder.
The victim's remains were transported to a local hospital for a post-mortem examination. Chief Supt Nyongo urged anyone with information related to the case to contact the nearest police station.
In a related incident, police found a decomposed body in the Shashe area on Sunday, believed to have been deceased for approximately a month. Investigations into this matter are ongoing.
The victim, identified as 42-year-old Morgan Gangata, had been reported missing by his employer a day earlier.
According to Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo, the police officer commanding Beitbridge district, Gangata's lifeless body displayed injuries on the right lower leg, wounds behind the left knee, wounds on the left thigh, and signs of bleeding from the mouth and nose. His body was discovered near his work vehicle, a Honda Fit he used for his taxi services.
Initially, the case was treated as that of a missing person until a villager from Malala stumbled upon the body in the bush.
Chief Supt Nyongo explained, "The deceased used to transport students from Dulivhadzimu to a local primary school. His employer became concerned when he didn't show up for work on Wednesday, and they couldn't reach him via his cellphone until Thursday."
Detectives, along with the car owner's identification, arrived at the scene, where they found the vehicle suspiciously parked in the middle of the road, facing the Gwanda direction. All doors were closed but not locked, and the key was still in the ignition. There were bloodstains on the left rear passenger door.
Despite efforts to contact Gangata and check local hospitals, no leads emerged. On Friday, a villager from Malala discovered the body approximately 50 meters from the Beitbridge to Bulawayo Highway, prompting the police to initiate an investigation into what they are now considering a murder.
The victim's remains were transported to a local hospital for a post-mortem examination. Chief Supt Nyongo urged anyone with information related to the case to contact the nearest police station.
In a related incident, police found a decomposed body in the Shashe area on Sunday, believed to have been deceased for approximately a month. Investigations into this matter are ongoing.
Source - The Herald
