DNA tests conducted on human remains found about a kilometre away from St Mathias Tsonzo High School in Watsomba have established that the remains belong to Livingstone Sunhwa, a pupil who disappeared from the school in December 2021.
NewZimbabwe.com reported Livingstone’s mother, Selina Tadya, confirming the development and saying the family was preparing for burial. She said:
We received the results yesterday and they are confirming that the remains are of Livingstone and we are now arranging for his burial.
What happened to Livingstone?
According to his sister, Pride, teachers at St Mathias Tsonzo High School assaulted Livingstone and banged his head into the wall until he could no longer speak.
She said he was being punished for an alleged offence of stealing sweets and snacks from the school tuckshop.
Pride said Livingstone was assaulted in full view of the students just after break time. She said:
I saw them walking with Livingstone towards the Administration block. They started beating him there asking him how he gained entrance into the tuckshop. They were smashing his head into the wall.
There was a teacher on duty whom I asked why they were beating my brother and he said it was because he had stolen.
I asked if they had called my mother and he said they had not. When they were done beating him, he could no longer speak.
All this happened in full view of the students because we were just returning from break time.
… I last saw him at the admin block standing with the head, but I could not talk to him.
He was initially taken to Mutasa police station, as he was 19 years old, before he was released into the hands of the school head Maxwell Sambona to allow him to write a ZIMSEC examination.
Sambona was later suspended, pending investigations. He was reportedly the last person seen with Livingstone on 5 December 2021 before the boy disappeared.
Tadya lost her husband almost a decade ago and was looking up to Livingstone to be the father figure for the family in future.
Livingstone’s father also died under unclear circumstances, while working in a mine in Mozambique.