‘DEAD’ MAN RESURFACES IN PRISON 22 YEARS LATER
. . . serving 40-year jail sentence . . . relatives ready to take him back
WHEN the Mandidzudzure area in eastern Zimbabwe was renamed Chimanimani in 1982, the village gods may have had Anyway Neshiri in mind.
Although the 40-year-old Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison inmate was not yet born by then, the name Chimanimani resonates with the life that Anyway lived decades later.
The name Chimanimani (formerly Melsetter) was derived from the Chimanimani gap — a small passage between mountains which leads to Mozambique.
The gap is infamous for mysterious happenings that locals say claimed a lot of lives in the past. People that traversed the path simply disappeared without a trace!
Episodes in Anyway’s challenging life can be equated to the said strange things that are believed to have transpired at the Chimanimani gap.
Missing for 22 years, his family strongly believed that he was dead.
The family searched for him everywhere and even consulted both faith and traditional healers as it sought to get closure but with no luck.
Growing up at his maternal grandparents’ home, Anyway dropped out of school when he was still in Grade Five.
For years, he worked as a cattle herder and also assisted his grandparents.
According to locals, the young lad was disciplined and hardworking.
However, in 2002, Anyway abruptly left home — without informing anyone — and never returned.
Days turned into months and months into years as the family desperately searched for him before eventually giving up.
Vanishing
According to Anyway, as his family was desperately looking for him, he had moved to Chipinge, where he became an illegal miner.
He went on to marry and had two children. The greener pastures-seeking young lad later left the wife and kids in Chipinge and moved to Chiadzwa diamond fields.
He toiled for years, paying little or no attention to his family — wife and children — as he would infrequently visit them.
But one day when he returned home to Chipinge in 2019, he caught his wife in bed with another man.
A scuffle ensued and the enraged Anyway went on to murder his cheating spouse.
He was arrested and sentenced to a 40-year jail term.
The close to five years he has so far spent in prison have been “a living hell” for the murder convict.
Apparently, it is not only the murder case that is tormenting his soul.
Anyway said he was also suffering emotionally as he had a lot of unanswered questions about his life.
Although the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) offers rehabilitation programmes, some of the inmates — like Anyway — are troubled by a burning desire to see their families.
The incarcerated murderer poured his heart out to this publication, indicating how he was being adversely affected by not getting visitors from his family side.
However, what is baffling is that these are the same relatives he ran away from
when he still had his freedom.
Furthermore, he thus far refuses to divulge the reason why he ran away from his family. Likewise, his relatives are also in the dark with regards to what pushed him to turn his back on them.
“No one visits me here. I do not even know if my family members are alive or not. Maybe they died during the Cyclone Idai disaster,” presumed Anyway in an emotional interview with The Sunday Mail Society.
“I do not sleep well at night. I am stressed.”
The visibly troubled inmate wishes to know his father as he believes this will give him the peace of mind he craves for.
He also hopes that his family will be able to locate his children and take them into their custody.
The two children are believed to have crossed to Mozambique where their maternal relatives are said to be based.
“I may be cursed. I want to know my father. Maybe he can help me remove the curse,” he said.
Roots
Our crew travelled to Chikukwa Shopping Centre in Chimanimani, where we met Anyway’s aunt, Miriam Neshiri.
The two (Miriam and Anyway) grew up under the same roof.
According to Miriam, Anyway was raised by Clever and Martha Neshiri, his maternal grandparents.
This was after his mother, Racheal, was impregnated by his alleged father Enock Magura, who then disappeared without a trace. Anyway went on to develop a strong bond with his grandmother, becoming her favourite grandchild.
“Gogo loved him. In fact, he was a sweetheart to everyone because of his nice character,” Miriam said.
Sekuru Edison Neshiri — Anyway’s uncle — also spoke glowingly about the inmate.
“We were worried all these years. At some point, I travelled to Chiadzwa where
he was rumoured to be, but I could not find him. We wanted him home either dead or alive. Although we heard that he committed murder, we are still grateful that he is back. As a family, we are thankful and relieved,” Sekuru Edison said.
He was grateful that this publication managed to create a link between his family and their “prodigal son”.
“We are prepared to welcome him home should he be released since we are the only family he knows. Every family has its ups and downs so we cannot hold on to the past. Also, it is up to him (Anyway) to tell us why he left, otherwise no one is going to force him to do so.
“Right now we have a bigger problem to focus on; we need to appease the spirit of the deceased by complying with the family’s demands. Our family (Neshiri) is bitter with his father for abandoning him and deciding to live in the shadows of life.
“We are committed to assisting him in locating his father, he should at least make the young man familiar with his roots,” added Sekuru Edison.
But other interviewed family members appeared keen on knowing what forced him to abandon his roots.
“I need to know why he disappeared and more so end up in jail. We are going to pay him a visit and I would want him to answer some of these questions,” Loriet Neshiri, another aunt, said.
With at least three decades left before he completes his sentence, Loriet said she would advise Anyway to study whilst in custody. Despite being a school dropout, Anyway is said to have grown into a quiet and morally upright young man who was admired by many.
Those who knew him as a boy were shocked by the murder charge.
“He was a loner, a very quiet boy who never got into trouble with anyone,” recalled Matthew, a local villager.
Mystery/ Vengeance
Many have been left wondering why Anyway never bothered to introduce his late wife to his family.
The Neshiri family reckons their grandmother, who died in 2012, was deeply affected by Anyway’s disappearance — a development that some feel contributed to her death.
“She always called out his name, hoping that one day he would come to check up on her. She loved him so much. I believe that some of the misfortunes that befell him were caused by his grandmother’s bitterness,” added Loriet.
The family of Anyway’s late wife said the deceased will “fight from the grave”.
Azizi — the deceased’s brother — blamed Anyway for the fix that he currently finds himself in.
“He abused and neglected her. My sister loved him and we tried several times to persuade her to divorce him (Anyway). What my sister did was wrong but killing her was not the solution,” argued Azizi.
The forgotten lot
Anyway’s tale is similar to that of thousands of other inmates that are housed in different prisons across the country.
In some cases, the relatives might not be aware that their family members are incarcerated while others simply neglect the convicts.
In 2023, James Dube, Maxwell Sibanda and Mncedisi Ncube found themselves in an unexpected fix.
Jail had been their home for over two decades. The trio had nowhere to go after serving their sentences.
Instead of celebrating their freedom, they found themselves stranded. They were not sure if their families would accept them.
ZPCS hosts the “Family Week”, in which inmates are given the opportunity to freely mix and mingle with their families.
During this time, the inmates reconnect and mend bridges with their loved ones.
But according to the ZPCS, many families are not keen on taking part in this initiative.
Chief Superintendent Meya Khanyezi, the ZPCS spokesperson, is concerned about this lack of interest.
“We had a ‘Family Week’ in December last year and it was marred by a low turnout. Whilst economic challenges might be playing a role, we also noted that some stigma towards offenders still exists,” she said.
Prison Ministries Pastor Partson Machengete noted that family support was crucial for the full rehabilitation of inmates.
“Life is not easy behind bars. Despite various efforts that are made by ZPCS, church, NGOs among others to put a smile on inmates’ faces, they still need their families. These inmates need family love; it gives them a sense of belonging and reduces the mental burden that they carry every day. Periodic visits by family members make their rehabilitation easy and it also gives them confidence and hope for life after prison.” —