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Prominent white farmer accused of killing boy with combine harvester
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A white commercial farmer in Mashonaland West, Daniel Brink Bosman, has become the focus of intense controversy and calls for justice following chilling allegations that he deliberately ran down and fatally injured a 12-year-old boy with a combine harvester in 2022.
The tragic incident occurred at Dandreanum Farm in the Lions' Den area near Chinhoyi, where Suarance Moffat was struck and killed while watching Bosman operate a giant combine harvester along with two other young boys.
According to Suarance's family, the children were merely observing and cheering as Bosman worked the maize field. But what began as innocent fascination allegedly turned fatal when the farmer inexplicably turned the machine toward the children and gave chase. Suarance was struck with a sharp part of the machine, sustaining a deep laceration to the skull that led to his death.
Suarance's father, Tichaona Moffat, has accused Bosman of orchestrating a cover-up in collusion with his tractor driver, Douglas Zhanewo. Following the incident, Bosman allegedly filed a false report at Murereka Police Station, claiming that Zhanewo accidentally ran over the boy with a tractor.
Zhanewo was arrested and charged with culpable homicide, despite the family's protests that the boy was not crushed - a scenario they argued would have left the child's body flattened. Instead, a postmortem by Dr. Ivene Maponga, dated May 24, 2022, concluded that Suarance died from a deep head wound that pierced his skull, consistent with being struck by a sharp object.
Eyewitness accounts from Suarance's younger brother painted a harrowing picture of the boy's body being impaled on the combine harvester's fork, bleeding profusely before succumbing to the injury. The family further claims the boy's body was later moved and dumped near a homestead, casting doubt on the official version of events.
Zhanewo was ultimately acquitted in 2024 after the State concluded that the boy had not been killed by a tractor, effectively clearing him of wrongdoing.
Now, in a renewed push for accountability, the Moffat family - represented by lawyer Tungamirai Chamutsa of Chamutsa and Partners - has filed a new criminal complaint against Bosman. Police have since opened two case files: one for murder under CR Number 45/04/25, and another for filing a false report under CR Number 46/04/25.
Despite this, Bosman has not yet been arrested. Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Mashonaland West spokesperson Inspector Ian Kohwera claimed ignorance of the matter.
In a strongly worded letter to District Public Prosecutor Herald Matura, the Moffat family's legal team accused the police and National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) of botching the initial investigation and possibly engaging in corruption.
The letter highlights disturbing irregularities, including altered witness statements and a typed police report dated May 16, 2025 - a future date - allegedly authored by investigating officer Muchihwa Misheck. The statement reportedly downplayed the credibility of witnesses, which the lawyers say exceeds the officer's mandate.
Speaking to NewZimbabwe.com, Tichaona Moffat said his family has been living in grief and anguish since the death of their son.
"We have not held a memorial service. Our boy's soul is not resting. We demand Bosman's immediate arrest so that he is prosecuted like any other accused person - not treated as an informant," said Moffat.
The family maintains that all evidence - including the postmortem and eyewitness statements - points to intentional harm and an elaborate cover-up, and they insist that Bosman must be charged under Section 47(1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for murder.
Bosman declined to comment on the latest allegations, saying only: "I am not at liberty to comment as this matter is still in the courts."
Public Outcry Mounts
The case has sparked renewed debate about racial privilege, accountability, and justice in Zimbabwe's farming communities, especially in cases involving vulnerable victims. Civil society organizations are reportedly monitoring the case closely, with some expected to weigh in if law enforcement continues to delay further action.
As the Moffat family fights for closure, the spotlight now turns to prosecutors and police officials to ensure that justice is not only done - but seen to be done.
The tragic incident occurred at Dandreanum Farm in the Lions' Den area near Chinhoyi, where Suarance Moffat was struck and killed while watching Bosman operate a giant combine harvester along with two other young boys.
According to Suarance's family, the children were merely observing and cheering as Bosman worked the maize field. But what began as innocent fascination allegedly turned fatal when the farmer inexplicably turned the machine toward the children and gave chase. Suarance was struck with a sharp part of the machine, sustaining a deep laceration to the skull that led to his death.
Suarance's father, Tichaona Moffat, has accused Bosman of orchestrating a cover-up in collusion with his tractor driver, Douglas Zhanewo. Following the incident, Bosman allegedly filed a false report at Murereka Police Station, claiming that Zhanewo accidentally ran over the boy with a tractor.
Zhanewo was arrested and charged with culpable homicide, despite the family's protests that the boy was not crushed - a scenario they argued would have left the child's body flattened. Instead, a postmortem by Dr. Ivene Maponga, dated May 24, 2022, concluded that Suarance died from a deep head wound that pierced his skull, consistent with being struck by a sharp object.
Eyewitness accounts from Suarance's younger brother painted a harrowing picture of the boy's body being impaled on the combine harvester's fork, bleeding profusely before succumbing to the injury. The family further claims the boy's body was later moved and dumped near a homestead, casting doubt on the official version of events.
Zhanewo was ultimately acquitted in 2024 after the State concluded that the boy had not been killed by a tractor, effectively clearing him of wrongdoing.
Now, in a renewed push for accountability, the Moffat family - represented by lawyer Tungamirai Chamutsa of Chamutsa and Partners - has filed a new criminal complaint against Bosman. Police have since opened two case files: one for murder under CR Number 45/04/25, and another for filing a false report under CR Number 46/04/25.
In a strongly worded letter to District Public Prosecutor Herald Matura, the Moffat family's legal team accused the police and National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) of botching the initial investigation and possibly engaging in corruption.
The letter highlights disturbing irregularities, including altered witness statements and a typed police report dated May 16, 2025 - a future date - allegedly authored by investigating officer Muchihwa Misheck. The statement reportedly downplayed the credibility of witnesses, which the lawyers say exceeds the officer's mandate.
Speaking to NewZimbabwe.com, Tichaona Moffat said his family has been living in grief and anguish since the death of their son.
"We have not held a memorial service. Our boy's soul is not resting. We demand Bosman's immediate arrest so that he is prosecuted like any other accused person - not treated as an informant," said Moffat.
The family maintains that all evidence - including the postmortem and eyewitness statements - points to intentional harm and an elaborate cover-up, and they insist that Bosman must be charged under Section 47(1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for murder.
Bosman declined to comment on the latest allegations, saying only: "I am not at liberty to comment as this matter is still in the courts."
Public Outcry Mounts
The case has sparked renewed debate about racial privilege, accountability, and justice in Zimbabwe's farming communities, especially in cases involving vulnerable victims. Civil society organizations are reportedly monitoring the case closely, with some expected to weigh in if law enforcement continues to delay further action.
As the Moffat family fights for closure, the spotlight now turns to prosecutors and police officials to ensure that justice is not only done - but seen to be done.
Source - NewZimbabwe
