Tafadzwa Shamba and Tapiwa Makore Snr, the suspects accused of the brutal murder of Tapiwa Makore Jnr in 2020, arrived at the High Court in Harare on Thursday where Justice Munamato Mutevedzi is expected to deliver the long-awaited judgement.
Tapiwa was allegedly murdered by his uncle Tapiwa Makore Snr in connivance with Shamba for ritual purposes when he was just seven years old. Four suspects were initially arrested, including Maud Hunidzarira and Thanks Makore, but the latter two were acquitted for lack of evidence against them. Tapiwa was buried more than six months after his murder without some of his body parts, including his skull, which investigators failed to locate.
Some Background Information:
On the morning of September 17, 2020, Tapiwa Makore Junior was asked by his parents to tend the garden. Later, when his parents went to the garden to water the plants, they discovered that their son was missing. They and some villagers searched for him until midnight but to no avail. The following morning, a neighbour found his dog and its puppies feasting on human body parts in his yard. He informed Tapiwa’s parents, and a police report was made. Unfortunately, the head of the body was missing.
Tafadzwa Shamba, a herdboy, was arrested on September 24, 2020, in connection with the kidnapping and murder of Tapiwa Makore Junior. Shamba was accused of conspiring with two others to kill Tapiwa, harvest his body parts, and sell them for just $1,500. The police alleged that Shamba worked with the other suspects to kidnap Tapiwa from a garden and then took him to a mountain where they kept him for the whole day. They then killed him at night, and one of the other suspects took away the head, leaving Shamba with the other body parts. Tapiwa’s uncle, Tapiwa Makore Senior, and Maud Hunidzarira were also arrested in connection with the boy’s murder. Hunidzarira was arrested after being seen cleaning an item with blood on it.
Two Murewa villagers, known as Mai Mungandire and Mai Katsande, were arrested after purchasing human flesh from Tafadzwa Shamba, as revealed by gathered information. Joina Tangirire and Enia Tangirire were identified as the two women who admitted buying meat from the alleged murderer but claimed they had no knowledge that it was human flesh. The women cooked and ate the meat and were taken into custody for further questioning and ordered to carry the pots they used to cook the meat. An 11-year-old boy from Nyamutumbu Village allegedly received $5 from Tapiwa Makore Snr to lure Tapiwa Junior from the garden to his uncle’s homestead. Tapiwa’s uncle, Thanks Makore, was later arrested for his involvement in the murder.
On September 29, 2020, Tafadzwa Shamba reportedly confessed to detectives that he killed Tapiwa Makore Junior by cutting off his head with a knife while the boy’s uncle, Tapiwa Senior, held a torch. Shamba said he carried the head and dismembered body in a black plastic bag, while Tapiwa Senior carried a bag containing the arms and legs. Shamba also revealed that he kidnapped Tapiwa, fed him, drugged him with kachasu, and locked him up in a room for hours. However, during his court appearance, Shamba retracted the confession, claiming he made indications under duress. The court ruled that his explanation was preposterous, and his indications led to the recovery of the body parts. Pindula posted the confession.
Tapiwa Makore Junior was buried on March 27, 2021, approximately six months after his brutal murder. He was buried without his head as the police could not locate it. The funeral was attended by numerous people, including politicians from the ZANU PF party. Munyaradzi Makore, Tapiwa’s father, was the MDC Alliance branch chairperson in Murewa North. On October 13, 2022, High Court judge Justice Munamato Mutevedzi acquitted Thanks Makore and Moud Hunidzarira of Tapiwa’s murder due to a lack of incriminating evidence. However, Tafadzwa Shamba and Tapiwa Makore Snr, the prime suspects, were placed on their defense as there was substantial evidence linking them to the murder.