The ManicaPost
. . . missing Mutare man’s body found floating in pond
Ray Bande Senior Reporter
THE body of a 21-year-old Mutare man was discovered in an advanced state of decomposition lying in a pond in the Mountain Rise section of Chikanga Phase 2 amid allegations that he was murdered and dumped after a dispute over an under age girlfriend.
The discovery of Johanes Kasaura’s body last Thursday came after he had gone missing for four days.
Manicaland police spokesperson Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa confirmed that investigations into the matter were in progress.
“We are investigating the matter and as of now we are treating it as a sudden death case until the results of the autopsy are out,” he said.
When The Weekender visited Kasaura’s home last Friday in Chikanag Phase 2, relatives, friends and neighbours of the deceased were still battling to come to terms with his death.
That his autopsy will be conducted on April 4 deepened their agony as that meant waiting a little longer to hear the actual cause of Kasaura’s death.
His uncle, Shingirai Kasaura said that the family also heard two versions of how his nephew was murdered and dumped in a pool.
“He went missing on Saturday (March 16) and was only discovered four days later lying in a pond at Mountain Rise section of Chikanga Phase 2. I positively identified him because of the clothes he was wearing. His body was swollen but his tummy was flat.
“There were some blood spots behind the ear. I could not identify him by his face. I only realized the clothes he was wearing. I was also not really convinced that this was a result of natural death. We were informed that he (Johannes Kasaura) was invited to his girlfriend’s parents’ home soon after work around 9pm that Saturday.
“That was the last time that he was last seen. We are not sure what came out of the meeting between him and the girlfriend’s parents. We also heard of a different version that points to a long standing dispute between my nephew and a rival suitor.
‘‘Those who confided in us told us that there were death threats that were made by the rival suitor a few days before he went missing,” he said.
Shingirai Kasaura confirmed that burial will be done after the post mortem.
One of the mourners at the funeral in Chikanga, who declined to be named, said the state in which the body was discovered clearly pointed to a case of murder.
“I think we all know the state in which a dead body that spends four days in a pool should be like.
‘‘That was not the case. There were clear indications that he was murdered and dumped in that pool,” he said.
