Livingstone Sunhwa

The teenager was arrested by the police on allegations of breaking into the school’s tuckshop and stealing groceries.

The stolen groceries were allegedly found tucked under his bed.

Police said they released Livingstone so that he could sit for his final English examinations.

The school tuckshop was broken into and authorities decided to bring in the police to investigate.

During investigations, it is said the police discovered shoeprints and traced them to the boys’ dormitory and further investigations revealed that Livingstone was the culprit. ^[1]

Since he was a major at law, Livingstone was taken to Mutasa Police Station for further interrogations.

The headmaster, Maxwell Sambona, and two teachers, reportedly made a follow-up and negotiated with the police for Livingstone’s release.

However, the teenager allegedly disappeared the following morning.

Six months passed with no information about the boy’s whereabouts prompting his mother, Selina Tadya, to demand answers from the school authorities.

Tadya said she single-handedly laboured to raise Livingstone and his sister, Pride, following the death of their father in 2010.

Tadya's husband reportedly died under unclear circumstances, while working in a mine in Mozambique.

Livingstone's sister, Pride, said her brother was assaulted by the school authorities, especially the headmaster, Sambona.

They allegedly banged his head into the wall until he could no longer speak. ^[2]

Human Remains

Human remains believed to be those of Livingstone were found on 24 June 2022 in a valley-like stream scattered all over the place. ^[3]

A leaked internal Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) memo claimed that the St Mathias Tsonzo High school pupil could have committed suicide.

According to the same memo, one Linety Chapungu of Samushinga Village in Mutasa told police that she had seen a pair of black shoes and a belt along the Mashorani stream in December 2021.

A follow-up was then made by the police using the information, leading to the discovery of items of clothing said to belong to Livingstone.

According to one of Livingstone's relatives, Helliet Paunganwa, the human remains were found at about 4 pm with the help of CID Nyanga.

Paunganwa said they found Livingstone's belt, school shoes and the vest. They were not buried underground. ^[4]

DNA Test

The homicide wing of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) reportedly took over the investigations to conduct Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) tests to establish whether the human remains were Livingstone’s. ^[5]

On 22 September 2022, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) confirmed that the DNA tests conducted on the human remains suspected to be those of Livingstone Sunhwa yielded positive results.^[6]

ZRP said the DNA results were obtained and handed over to Livingstone’s family on Wednesday, 21 September. Said ZRP:

The ZRP confirms that Livingstone Sunhwa’s DNA results were obtained and handed over to his family on 21/09/22. The results were positive.

Burial

Livingstone's skeletal remains were buried on Sunday, 09 October 2022 at Dangamvura Cemetery in Mutare.

He was buried more than 10 months after his disappearance from the school.

The burial took place although the palms and feet were yet to be located.^[7]

Inquest

The Prosecutor-General’s Office ordered an inquest into Livingstone's death after his sister Pride Sunhwa had alleged that he was brutally assaulted by the Police and school authorities before he went missing.

The inquest began in April 2023. Witnesses to the events prior to Livingstone's disappearance testified before Mutasa magistrate, Artwell Sanyatwe.^[8]

However, in June 2023, Sanyatwe ruled out foul play in Livingstone's death and concluded that he took his own life. ^[9]

Sanyatwe ruled that the availed evidence suggested suicide by hanging as testified by the police. He said:

There is no doubt that Livingstone exhibited signs of truancy, which in my view contributed to his demise in this instance. He either could not stand the embarrassing conduct of being arrested at the school in full view of his peers or feared the worst, hence his decision to take his own life.

References