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 Chief Court Reporter

The prosecution and defence lawyers in the murder trial of two men in the suspected ritual murder of Murehwa boy Tapiwa Makore Jnr are today expected to file their closing submissions following the conclusion of the trial last week.

 Tafadzwa Shamba and Tapiwa Makore Snr are the two men facing the murder charge, following the acquittal of the other two, Moud Hunidzarira and Thanks Makore, for lack of evidence.

 Justice Munamato Mutevedzi ruled last week that Shamba and Makore Snr have a case to answer and placed them on their defence.

 At the conclusion of the trial last week, both the prosecution and defence lawyers requested to make written submissions, to which the judge agreed, but gave them the timeline to make their submissions.

Tapiwa was killed in a suspected case of ritual murder, allegedly by Shamba and uncle Makore Snr on September 17, 2020 in Nyamutumbu village, Murewa.

According to Shamba’s confession, the boy was drugged, killed and mutilated so that they could sell his body parts to a witch doctor for US$1 500.

The family faced continued grief after enduring over six months without laying his body to rest since they wanted to find boy’s head first. The head was never found, resulting in the burial of the headless torso.

 Lawyers, Mr Moses Mavhaire and Munyaradzi Midzi are representing Shamba and Makore Snr for free while Mr Albert Masamha assisted by Mr Douglas Chesa is prosecuting.