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Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
A 42-year-old Harare woman accused in the ritual murder of a Grade One pupil in Norton has been denied bail by High Court.

Daphine Chaitwa is alleged to have committed the heinous crime together with her ex-boyfriend, one Casper Garande.

Chaitwa and Garande reportedly kidnapped and killed Perfect Hanyani, a Porta Primary School pupil, before dumping his remains in a river in Chegutu.

Some parts were missing when the body was recovered.

Garande’s identity particulars were found at the scene of the incident but he claimed the documents had been confiscated by Chaitwa when their relationship ended.

Justice Priscilla Chigumba threw out the bail application by Chaitwa after the prosecution opposed bail.

Law officer Mr Douglas Chesa opposed bail saying; “If the documents are to be associated with the commission of the offence, the prime suspect would be the applicant (Chaitwa).

“Either they were left by error by one of the accused persons, or they were intentionally planted at the scene to set police on a wrong trail or to even up the score with the former lover.

“There is also evidence that on the day the deceased went missing, he was seen in the company of a strange woman.”

Chaitwa, through his lawyers from Mugiya and Macharaga Law Chambers, argued she was a proper candidate for bail.

“Applicant denies that she was left in possession of the documents by the first accused (Garande).

“He knows best why his documents were at the scene. It is rather frivolous and vexatious for him to allege that the applicant was in possession of them.”

Chaitwa further submitted that there was bad blood between her and Garande sparked by the fact that Garande was not taking care of their minor child.

Chaitwa and Garande are facing a murder charge.

Allegations are that on April 4, the pair kidnapped the now deceased in Norton before his body was found in a river a week later in Chegutu.

It is alleged that near the body was a black wallet which contained Garande’s particulars including his photocopied identification card and a passport size photo.

Upon arrest, Garande implicated Chaitwa, saying she had kept his documents since they broke up.