CRIME WATCH: Manhunt Launched as Karoi Man is Murdered, Buried in Shallow Grave After Love Triangle Dispute

GUTU – The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) have launched an intensive manhunt for a Gutu businessman following the brutal murder and secret burial of a Karoi man in a suspected love triangle. The victim, Abraham Mupagore of Chikuti Village, Karoi, was allegedly killed after traveling over 400km to visit a woman who was also romantically linked to the suspect.

The tragic incident unfolded in Chimombe Village, Chiguhune, after Mupagore traveled to visit Modester Fushai, a storekeeper at the local business centre. According to police reports, the weekend began peacefully, with Mupagore even preaching at a Zion Apostolic Church service on Sunday morning before returning to Fushai’s residence.

However, the peace was shattered when the suspect, Takura Mabhugu, who operates a shop at the same business centre, arrived at the homestead. Fushai reportedly introduced Mupagore as her "new partner," triggering a violent confrontation. ZRP Masvingo provincial spokesperson Kudakwashe Dhewa confirmed that a fistfight broke out between the two men.

“Mabhugu, realising he was losing the fight, allegedly armed himself with a shovel and fatally assaulted Mupagore,” police sources stated.

In a desperate bid to conceal the crime, Mabhugu allegedly dragged the body to a nearby maize field, where he dug a shallow grave. The crime remained undiscovered until Monday, when Fushai returned to find bloodstains and Mupagore’s belongings missing. The grim reality was eventually uncovered by a neighbor, Peter Tigere, who noticed suspicious tracks and freshly disturbed soil in the maize field on Wednesday.

Police have since exhumed Mupagore’s body and transported it to Gutu Mission Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Mabhugu remains at large, and the ZRP has urged anyone with information regarding his whereabouts to contact their nearest police station immediately. This case serves as a somber reminder of how domestic disputes can escalate into irreversible tragedy. The Gutu community remains on edge as the search for the "businessman-turned-fugitive" continues.

Gutu murder shallow grave