A Buhera man was found dead in his bedroom the morning after he left his homestead in his motor vehicle following negotiations with an unidentified prospective buyer.
Edmore Chirombe, of Chikurure Primary School in Buhera, died on September 9, according to police. His body was discovered the following morning by his domestic worker, Arnold Musamadya, 26, after Chirombe returned home on foot without the vehicle.
Acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka confirmed the incident and said investigations were under way. Police have not yet identified the person who visited Chirombe’s homestead to discuss the purchase of the vehicle.
The unknown man reportedly arrived at the homestead at about 10am on September 9. Musamadya was at the property and saw the two men discussing the vehicle. The visitor left at about midday, while Chirombe remained at home for another two hours.
“On September 9, at around 10am, an unknown person visited Edmore Chirombe’s house with the intention of buying his vehicle. Arnold Musamadya, who is a domestic worker at the homestead, saw Chirombe and the unknown person negotiating,” said Assistant Inspector Chinyoka.
Chirombe later left the property driving the vehicle. Witnesses said he departed at about 2pm and returned roughly two hours later. By then, he was on foot and the vehicle was no longer with him.
“At around 12pm, the unknown person left Chirombe’s homestead. At around 2pm, Chirombe left driving his vehicle and returned at around 4pm walking on foot,” said Assistant Inspector Chinyoka.
The circumstances surrounding the vehicle’s disappearance and what happened to Chirombe between the time he left home and his return are now central to the police investigation. The identity of the prospective buyer, the outcome of the negotiations and the location of the vehicle had not been disclosed by police at the time of the report.
Chirombe spent the night at his homestead. Musamadya made the discovery at about 8am on September 10 after noticing that the door to Chirombe’s room was locked from the inside. The keys were hanging on the padlock, prompting the domestic worker to look through a window.
He saw Chirombe lying motionless on his bed and raised the alarm. The matter was reported to police at Buhera, and officers attended the scene.
“On September 10, at around 8am, Musamadya woke up and discovered that the door to Chirombe’s room was locked from inside and the keys were hanging on the padlock. He peeped through the window and discovered Chirombe lying dead on his bed,” said Assistant Inspector Chinyoka.
Police said the initial examination did not reveal visible injuries on Chirombe’s body. His body was taken to Murambinda Mission Hospital for a post-mortem examination, which is expected to provide further information about the cause of death.
“The body was inspected and no visible injuries were noted. It was subsequently taken to Murambinda Mission Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Investigations are still in progress,” said Assistant Inspector Chinyoka.
The discovery has brought renewed attention to the risks surrounding private vehicle transactions, particularly deals arranged through informal contacts and concluded away from established dealerships. A vehicle sale can involve the exchange of substantial sums of money, ownership documents and keys, while a buyer and seller may have little knowledge of each other’s identity or history.
The case also comes as police in the region continue to deal with other deaths requiring investigation. In nearby Chipinge, a 38-year-old man was recently found hanging from a tree branch at his family homestead after his deportation from South Africa. The man, Luke Sithole of Watershed Village under Chief Mapungwana, had reportedly been distressed about belongings he had left behind in South Africa.
Police said Sithole went to bed on the evening of September 11. The next morning, his father found his bedroom empty and later discovered him outside the family yard. His body was taken to Chipinge District Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem examination. No suicide note was recovered, and police said there were no signs of foul play in their preliminary findings.
Assistant Inspector Chinyoka said: “The matter is being treated as a suspected suicide. Investigations are continuing.”
Although the Chipinge case is separate from Chirombe’s death, both incidents have required police officers to reconstruct events from the final known movements of the deceased and statements from relatives or people living at the homesteads. In Chirombe’s case, Musamadya’s account has established a timeline beginning with the visitor’s arrival and ending with the discovery in the locked bedroom.
Vehicle-related crime has also remained a concern along Zimbabwe’s borders and transport routes. In a separate case reported in 2024, South African police arrested a 29-year-old man near Polokwane while he was allegedly driving a stolen vehicle towards the Beitbridge border post. Police said the vehicle had been stolen in Gauteng and was believed to be destined for illegal export. Investigators described a cross-border network in which stolen vehicles were moved through Zimbabwe towards other countries in the region.
That case involved an alleged stolen vehicle and an international route, while the Buhera investigation concerns a private sale and a man who was found dead after returning home without his car. The details are different, but the movement of the vehicle remains a key part of the inquiry in Buhera.
The person who visited Chirombe’s home remains unidentified. Anyone with information about the visitor, the vehicle or Chirombe’s movements on September 9 is expected to assist the police investigation.
The post-mortem examination at Murambinda Mission Hospital will be an important part of the inquiry. Until the examination and further police work are completed, Chirombe’s death remains under investigation.