Boy’s body found with missing parts
POLICE in Gweru have discovered a body of a boy aged between four and five years with missing body parts.
The body was burnt beyond recognition raising suspicion that it could be that of a four-year-old boy from Mkoba Village 15 who went missing two weeks ago.
The body was discovered with a damaged skull, missing limbs and other body parts suggesting that the child could have been murdered for ritual purposes before the body was burnt so that it would not be identifiable before being dumped in the bushy area.
The officer commanding police in the Midlands Province, Senior Assistant Commissioner Abigail Moyo, confirmed that they were investigating a case where a body of a boy was discovered in a bushy area in Mkoba Village 20.
She, however, could not shed more light as the investigations were still being carried out.
Snr Asst Comm Moyo said the body has not yet been identified as it was found in an advanced state of decomposition and police were yet to establish whether it was that of a missing child from Mkoba Village 15.
“I am not in the office but I heard that there was a body of a boy which was found in a decomposed state. The body has not yet been identified and we are not sure if it is that of the missing child. The relatives of the child might be in a better position to shed more light. Investigations are still being carried out so we will comment once we have full details,” she said.
According to witnesses, the boy’s body was found in the middle of gumtrees in a bushy area near Mkoba Village 20 by students from Top Class private college during lunch time who then alerted the college authorities who in turn reported the matter to the police.
A source said residents suspected that it could be that of Blessing Muringo of Mkoba Village 15 who went missing on 12 June when he was left in the custody of a 13-yearold girl while her mother attended a church service.
Blessing’s grandfather, Mr Claudius Tsava-Muringo said they were told by the police that there was a body which they suspected could be that of his grandson which was found in the bushy area near Mkoba Village 20 and were advised to go and identify him.
He said the body was found with missing limbs and the head was damaged while it was burnt beyond recognition.
“We went to the scene where the body was found and discovered that it had missing body parts. It had missing legs and the head was also damaged. The body was burnt beyond recognition. We want to go and try to see whether my daughter-in-law can identify the body to see if it is that of my grandson,” he said.
When Sunday News went to Gweru Provincial Hospital Mortuary where the body was taken, the family could not ascertain whether it was Blessing’s.
If Blessing’s relatives fail to positively identify the body, it would require Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) test.