GOKWE – Nyamhara Primary School headmaster Charles Chikozho was beaten to death in his bedroom after a neighbour allegedly found his wife drunk from opaque beer she had received from the school head.
The incident happened on Sunday at Mativenga Village under Headman Nembudziya in Gokwe North, leaving the community stunned by a violent confrontation that began with a request for beer and ended with a fatal attack inside Chikozho’s home.
Lancelord Muzenda, aged 31, and his wife, Rumbidzai Murandu, who is 10 years older that her husband, have been arrested and are facing murder charges. The couple appeared at Gokwe Magistrates’ Court, where they were remanded in custody for the continuation of the case.
The court heard that Chikozho had passed through Muzenda’s homestead carrying a 20-litre bucket of opaque beer. Murandu allegedly asked him for some of the drink, and he gave her about 2 litres. She later drank the beer and became intoxicated.
Muzenda reportedly returned home and found his wife drunk. When he asked her where she had obtained the beer, she allegedly told him that it had come from Chikozho.
The information angered Muzenda, who is alleged to have armed himself with a Colombian knife and a claw hammer before going to confront the headmaster. The court heard that he threatened Chikozho’s family, forced his way into the bedroom where the school head was sleeping and severely assaulted him.
Muzenda allegedly struck Chikozho with the claw hammer before leaving him badly injured and lying in a pool of blood. Instead of raising the alarm or seeking medical assistance, he is alleged to have returned to his home and dragged Murandu back to the headmaster’s house.
The prosecution told the court that Muzenda then ordered his wife to assault Chikozho. Murandu allegedly struck the injured school head several times with a burning log while he was still inside the bedroom.
Chikozho was later taken to Gokwe North Hospital, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival. The injuries he sustained during the attack were fatal.
The sequence of events presented in court showed how quickly the dispute escalated. What began when Murandu asked for a portion of opaque beer developed into a confrontation involving threats, forced entry, a claw hammer and a burning log. By the time help reached Chikozho, he had suffered injuries so severe that doctors could not save him.
Residents in the village were left to deal with the death of a local school leader whose work at Nyamhara Primary School had placed him at the centre of the community. Headmasters often serve not only as administrators but also as prominent figures in rural areas, where schools are closely connected to the surrounding villages. Chikozho’s death therefore affected both the school and the wider Mativenga community.
The allegations before the court also place Murandu at the scene of the fatal assault. According to the prosecution’s account, she was first taken from her home by Muzenda and then instructed to strike Chikozho with the burning log. Both spouses are consequently facing the same murder charge in connection with the headmaster’s death.
Muzenda is also alleged to have carried the knife and hammer when he went to Chikozho’s home and to have broken into the bedroom where the headmaster was sleeping. The court heard that he first carried out the hammer attack himself before returning with Murandu and ordering her to continue the assault.
The couple’s arrest followed the incident, and they were subsequently brought before the magistrates’ court. They remain in custody as the matter proceeds.
Police investigations are continuing into the circumstances surrounding Chikozho’s death, including the movements of the accused couple, the weapons allegedly used in the attack and the events that followed the initial confrontation over the beer.