Village head seeks door-to-door probe

A VILLAGE head in Lower Gweru is seeking help from the police in conducting door-to-door investigations to resolve the mystery of the body of a smartly dressed infant found wrapped in a towel in a bush near Insukamini Business Centre.

The infant believed to between eight and 10 months, was found smartly dressed in blue pants and in a sleeping position while wrapped in a matching blue towel.

According to the village head, Mr Thomas Mpofu, the baby was discovered by a herdboy last Saturday and until now its identity or that of the parents are still not known, while no arrests have been made.

Police in Lower Gweru are treating the matter as a case of suspected baby dumping.

“It’s been a week now since this tragic incident was discovered here and everyone is shocked,” said Mr Mpofu. “We have agreed as the villagers that we go door-todoor conducting investigations because we want to bring the culprit to book.

“We have agreed that the police should assist us in this regard, so I have written to the Officer-in-charge of Gweru Rural Police Station to assist us with a police officer to help us with the investigation.”

Mr Mpofu said the body had some signs indicating the baby could have been ill and was left to starve to death.

“We are all shocked and are wondering what the motive behind all this was,” he said. “It’s very unfortunate, but what we suspect is that the mother of the baby could have just left it to die because it looks like the baby was terminally ill.”

Mr Mpofu said they would do everything within their power to make sure that the culprit was arrested.

“The motive behind is still unknown, but we expect the police to assist us in bringing the culprit to book,” he said.

Officer-in-charge of Gweru Rural Police Station Chief Inspector Samuel Tadzauishe confirmed the incident, but could not give details when contacted for comment.