Seven Held After New Claims in Dziire Murder

By Staff Reporter | Mutasa

Seven people have been taken into police custody for questioning after a dramatic traditional court hearing in Mutasa, Manicaland, in which a woman allegedly claimed to be speaking through the spirit of a man murdered almost two years ago.

The woman allegedly identified several people she said were involved in the killing of Luckmore Dziire, whose death in October 2024 shocked the Domborutinhira community after his body was found with multiple stab wounds and several body parts reportedly missing. The proceedings were held before Chief Mutasa after Dziire's family sought further answers about the circumstances surrounding his death.

Among those named during the hearing were Margaret Marume, Jeremiah Mupunga, Kenny Chirumhanzu, Nyasha Mudeme, Tendai Afonzo, Joseph Alfonso, Christopher and Mangandaire. One of those named, Tendai Afonzo, has already been convicted of Dziire's murder and is serving a 25-year prison sentence following a Mutare High Court ruling earlier this year. The latest allegations, however, have raised questions about whether other people could have been involved in the events surrounding Dziire's death.

Claims made during hearing

According to reports from the hearing, the woman allegedly spoke as if she were Dziire and described what she claimed happened before and during the attack. She alleged that Dziire had gone to a local shop where he was given food and traditional beer before being given a drink allegedly mixed with an unknown substance. The woman claimed he became drowsy and later fell asleep on a bench.

She then alleged that several people surrounded him during the night. “During the night, many people surrounded me. Tendai Alfonso stabbed me with a knife in the neck and chest, while others joined in,” she reportedly said, speaking as though she were Dziire. She further alleged that blood and body parts were removed after the attack for purported ritual or traditional-medicine purposes. The allegations have not been independently established, and those named remain innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Family seeks more answers

Dziire's brother, Dzidzai Dziire, took the matter before Chief Mutasa because the family believes questions remain unanswered despite Afonzo's conviction. The family has previously said Afonzo indicated during his criminal trial that he did not act alone. That claim has prompted relatives to seek further investigation into whether anyone else participated in the killing.

“Alfonso told the court during his trial that he did not commit the act alone. We want to know the full truth about what happened to our relative and whether other people were involved,” relative Jenny Dziire said. “We believe there may have been interference by other people, and we want all these allegations to be thoroughly investigated.” The family has also raised concerns over reports that people may have attempted to influence efforts to secure Afonzo's release from prison. Those claims would require separate investigation and have not been established.

Existing conviction

The new developments come months after Afonzo was convicted of Dziire's murder. According to the National Prosecuting Authority, Afonzo attacked Dziire at Domborutinhira Business Centre on October 1, 2024, using an okapi knife. Dziire was stabbed multiple times before Afonzo fled. Residents later found Dziire lying in a pool of blood on a shop veranda.

A post-mortem examination found that he died from hypovolemic shock caused by severe blood loss. The Mutare High Court subsequently sentenced Afonzo to 25 years in prison, taking into account the seriousness of the offence and the circumstances surrounding the killing. The established court record therefore differs from some of the claims made during the recent traditional hearing. The High Court case resulted in a conviction against Afonzo; the latest proceedings concern allegations that other people may have been involved.

Suspects deny allegations

Some of the people named during the traditional hearing have denied any involvement in Dziire's death. Marume acknowledged that Dziire had visited the shop on the day of his death but said she knew nothing about his killing. “We had brewed traditional beer for customers at the shop where I work. Luckmore came and asked Joseph for food, as he was eating at the time. He was given food, ate it and left,” she said.

Marume said she only learnt about Dziire's death later after receiving a telephone call.

Another person identified only as Shupikai also denied an allegation that he had supplied Dziire with alcohol. Their accounts have not been tested in court.

Police take over investigation

Following the hearing, Chief Mutasa referred the matter to the police. Police officers who attended the proceedings took the people implicated during the hearing into custody for questioning. The development does not amount to a finding of guilt, and investigators will have to establish whether there is admissible evidence linking any of the named individuals to Dziire's murder.

The police investigation will also have to distinguish between claims made during the traditional proceedings and evidence that can be independently corroborated. The unusual hearing has nevertheless reopened public interest in a murder that had appeared to have reached a legal conclusion with Afonzo's conviction. For the Dziire family, the central question remains whether the convicted man acted alone.

For investigators, the challenge will now be to determine whether the new allegations can be supported by evidence and whether any additional suspects should face criminal charges. Until then, the allegations made during the traditional court hearing remain just that allegations, while Afonzo's conviction for Dziire's murder remains the established outcome of the criminal case.

Luckmore Dziire murder