Mystery deepens over city lodge 'murder'

The family of a 30-year-old Ministry of Health and Child Care accountant whose decomposing body was discovered in a room at a Harare lodge has petitioned Police Commissioner-General Stephen Mutamba, accusing investigators of failing to thoroughly investigate what they believe may have been a homicide.

In a letter addressed to the Commissioner-General and copied to the Officer Commanding Harare South District, Officer Commanding Harare Province and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Press and Public Relations Department, the family of Precious Tariro Chimhundu said they remained "grieved and confused" by the circumstances surrounding her death.

Chimhundu, who was originally from Bikita, reportedly disappeared on May 20, 2026, after booking a room at Tynwald Gardens and Lodges.

After she could not be located, her family filed a missing persons report at Kuwadzana Police Station.

Her body was reportedly discovered five to six days later in an advanced state of decomposition.

The family argues that several unanswered questions have led them to believe investigators prematurely treated the matter as a suspected suicide despite medical findings indicating another cause of death.

According to the petition, a post-mortem examination conducted at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals concluded that Chimhundu died from a head injury and intracranial haemorrhage.

The family said those findings were reflected on her official death certificate issued by the Civil Registry Department, which reportedly lists head trauma as the primary cause of death and intracranial haemorrhage as the secondary cause.

They argue that these findings are inconsistent with a suicide theory.

"We were clearly informed that the death of our beloved one was not due to any natural causes [and] neither was it suicide," the family wrote.

"While we cannot direct investigations, as grieved parties and concerned members of the general public, we can still supply information that can assist police investigations."

Despite this, the family alleges they later learnt that police were still treating the matter as a suspected suicide.

The petition also raises questions about how Chimhundu's body remained undiscovered inside the lodge for several days.

According to the family, lodge staff stated that she booked the room for one day on May 20 at around 8am.

However, they claim police had earlier informed them that she checked in on May 21 at around 4pm, creating what they describe as conflicting timelines.

The family further questioned why lodge staff allegedly failed to inspect the room after the booking had expired despite having her identification details and CCTV surveillance covering the premises.

When contacted, Tynwald Gardens and Lodges manager Tendai Masunge confirmed that the incident occurred at the establishment.

"It's true, it happened, but the police are handling the case," he said.

However, when asked to respond to the family's concerns regarding the timeline and the discovery of the body, he declined further comment.

The family has called on police to secure CCTV footage from cameras covering the reception area and those overlooking the room to establish who entered or exited the premises before the body was found.

Another issue raised concerns a man identified only as Lawrence.

According to the family, WhatsApp conversations between Chimhundu and the man had allegedly been deleted from her mobile phone, although call records reportedly showed they had communicated before her death.

The family alleges that when police contacted Lawrence on speakerphone in their presence, he denied knowing the deceased.

They further claim that shortly afterwards, Lawrence allegedly called Chimhundu's number while mourners were gathered at her funeral, saying he wanted to "check something" with her before ending the call after being informed that she had died.

"We feel this number used by Lawrence should be verified and he should be thoroughly interviewed as per your professional standards," the family wrote.

"Even his call history and chats should be obtained from Econet to identify the people he was communicating with during that period and their site interactions."

The family said they had previously raised the matter with investigators but were only informed that Lawrence was employed by the Department of Home Affairs.

They have also urged police to obtain Chimhundu's mobile phone records, text messages and location data from service providers, arguing that the information could help establish her movements and contacts before her disappearance.

The petition further alleges that someone may have attempted to stage the scene to resemble a suicide by placing two empty containers containing a foul-smelling chemical inside Chimhundu's handbag and tampering with her mobile phone.

While emphasising that they do not seek to direct the investigation, the family appealed to Commissioner-General Mutamba to ensure the matter is investigated thoroughly and transparently.

National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed receiving the family's complaint.

"We have received the complaint, and I want to assure you that the police are investigating the matter," Nyathi said.

"It is too early to give an update on the progress of the investigations."

The circumstances surrounding Chimhundu's death remain under police investigation, and no conclusions have been announced by the authorities.