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Court Reporter
The murder suspect who allegedly raped and strangled to death a 10-year-old Rugare girl, Stacy Munjoma, last year is still on remand after his two applications for further remand refusal were dismissed.
Tawanda Mugove (28), who is on remand for murder, made his first application on September 2 arguing that he should be freed since he has been on remand for a long time.

In dismissing the application, magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe said: “You see accused person, murder is a serious and complex matter. There is a human being who was supposed to be surviving who is dead right now. Therefore, it would be in the interest of justice for the State to be afforded a chance to finish investigations.”

Mugove on Tuesday appeared before magistrate Mr Milton Serima and made the same application and again it was dismissed.

The State in its response told the court that they were still waiting to receive the post-mortem and rape test kits from South Africa. The prosecutor Miss Sharon Mashavira, produced documentary evidence that showed proof of acknowledgement of receipt by the South African forensic laboratories. Mr Serima, in dismissing the application, said it would be in the interest of justice to keep Mugove on remand and in custody.

He said the incident (murder case) was still fresh in the minds of the girl’s relatives and the society at large hence anything could happen to him if he was freed.

He also concurred with Mr Mahwe that the matter was a serious and complex one hence the State should be afforded time to do their investigations.

He was remanded in custody to October 30 this year. It is the State’s case that after the death of the girl, Mugove allegedly showed strange behaviour.

On May 14, he was arrested at Mashazhike night club in Rugare and was quizzed in connection with Stacy’s murder.

It is alleged he confessed to raping and strangling the girl.