The ManicaPost
Abel Zhakata and Samuel Kadungure
THE arrest of serial rapist and killer — Bright Zhantali (30) — now linked to more than 20 murders, has brought relief to a Mutare family that had spent three months desperately searching for a relative who had fallen victim to the ruthless criminal in January.
Some of the murder cases were committed at a time when Zhantali was out on bail for a murder he committed in July last year.
Ms Patricia Dzirikure’s family was left devastated on Tuesday morning when they were informed that their missing relative whom they had been looking for since January 18 was among Zhantali’s murdered victims.
The deceased’s twin brother, Mr Patrick Dzirikure, laboured to narrate the ordeal the family went through since the disappearance of his sister and the subsequent discovery of her decomposed remains at a farm near Christmas Pass Mountain.
He said the discovery of his sister’s remains will, at least, bring closure in their lives.
A well-known teacher at Rujeko Primary School in Dangamvura, the late Ms Dzirikure (45) left her rented apartment in Home Ownership on January 18 at around 7pm as she headed to the city centre to withdraw her salary at the bank.
“Since it was during the school holidays, Patricia, a single mother of three children, doubled as a second hand shoe vendor to supplement her salary and provide for her family. She took three pairs of shoes she intended to sell in the Central Business District,” said Mr Dzirikure.
“While in the city centre, she met the suspect who approached her and told her that he was interested in her shoes.
“He lied to her that he wanted to buy the shoes, but had left money at home in Penhalonga. I am told he offered to pay for the lift to Penhalonga to collect the money. My sister agreed and little did she know that she was falling into the trap of a serial killer and rapist,” he said.
“They travelled to Penhalonga and disembarked from the vehicle. They took a footpath through a farm and it is in that footpath that the suspect attacked, raped and killed her. He hid the body in the thickets,” said Mr Dzirikure.
What followed was a soul-draining search for his sister which produced no results.
“When my sister did not return home, her children informed us about the situation.
“At first we thought maybe she had gone somewhere and would return soon, but after three days lapsed without her showing up, we asked one of our relatives to stay with the children.
“Days and weeks passed, but there was no trace of Patricia. We took her children to our rural area and secured places for them at the schools there as we couldn’t locate their mother.
“We did not stop the search and we were always exchanged information with the police. We started thinking that maybe Patricia had crossed into Mozambique to buy shoes for resale, thinking that maybe she had encountered problems there. We also thought maybe as a vendor she had been arrested by the police and was languishing in a remand prison somewhere.
“We searched everywhere and they were no clues. We also searched at mortuaries thinking that maybe she had been involved in a car accident. We just couldn’t find her.
“On Tuesday I received a call from the police breaking the sad news. They told me the whole story about the serial killer, his confession and how they managed to identify that it was indeed my sister they had found.
“We are waiting for DNA tests to verify her identity, but analysing circumstances surrounding the case and the evidence at hand shows that it is her. We just want to make sure that we do not bury the wrong person.
“We have been through a dark path and we want this chapter to end well. We want the law to take its course and justice to be served well.
“I am sorry for this 30-year-old suspect, he needs redemption. The crimes that he is facing are just too much for his age.
“Yes, we are grieving, but that young man is a living hell, he needs help, serious help.
“No one would want his or her child to be entangled in crimes of this nature. It is just too much for him,” said Mr Dzirikure.
Zhantali is linked to other rape and murder cases reported in Rusape and Nyanga which were committed between December 2021 and February 2022.
The suspect, who is currently detained in Mutare, has been taking homicide detectives to the scenes where he committed the heinous crimes and dumped his victims’ bodies.
Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Nobert Muzondo said the suspect brutally murdered two females in Rusape.
He allegedly raped and strangled his first victim using his hands.
He also killed Ms Cecelia Raza of Vengere, Rusape, whose decomposing body was found with the head covered by a cloth while her hands were tied at the back.
The body was naked from waist downwards and was found at the Patel Industrial Area next to the railway line four days after the victim’s family had lodged a missing person report with the police.
Ms Raza was last seen on January 11 when she left home for a beer binge at Vengere Shopping Centre.
Zhantali allegedly killed the third and fourth victims in Nyazura and Nyanga, respectively.
“He met an unsuspecting female adult (mid 20s) at Bulfour Bus Stop in Rusape at an unknown date in February and proposed love to her.
“The two then walked along the Harare-Mutare Highway after he had indicated to the victim that he was staying at the residential stands near Sakupwanya Farm.
“On their way there, Zhantali raped the victim before strangling her to death. He left the body at the crime scene,” said Inspector Muzondo.
“Zhantali then confessed to the crime following his arrest in Marondera. He was brought for indications and identified the woman’s body, which was now in an advanced state of decomposition. The identity of the victim is not known, and those with a missing female relative aged between 20 and 25 years should contact the police,” said the provincial police spokesperson.
Insp Muzondo said it seemed as if all of Zhantali’s rape and murder cases were simultaneous incidents.
He warned members of the public against entertaining strangers.
