Chief Chireya and 2 police officers accused of killing 72-year-old in chieftainship row
A 72-year-old man was killed at his home in Taka village after a group of men arrived at night, ordered his family to lie on the ground and assaulted him, according to allegations presented at Nembudziya Magistrates Court.
Chief Chireya, born Henry Chidzivo, appeared in court on Tuesday, October 20, and was remanded in custody. He joined six co-accused who had appeared a day earlier: Jethro Dumbura, Chenjerayi Chidzivo, Kelvin Panashe Musariri, Kasiyani Mudyachawaona and police officers Moses Sibanda and Agent Chitsinde. The group is being held pending referral of the case to the regional court.
The deceased, Tapson Jichidza, lived in Taka village, within Chief Chireya’s area. The State says the attack took place at about 8.30pm on October 13, when the accused drove to Jichidza’s homestead in an Isuzu double-cab vehicle used by the traditional leader.
The group allegedly carried knobkerries, axes, iron bars and wooden sticks. Chitsinde, who was armed with his service rifle, an FN with serial number 5284, was carrying eight live rounds, the court heard.
As the vehicle approached the home, its lights were switched off. The group then surrounded the homestead. Chitsinde allegedly ordered the family to lie down, leaving them on the ground as the confrontation unfolded.
Dumbura is accused of striking Jichidza on the head with a knobkerrie. Chenjerayi Chidzivo allegedly lifted the elderly man and threw him to the ground. Chitsinde then allegedly hit him with the butt of his rifle.
The State says the attack was connected to a dispute over chieftainship. Chief Chireya allegedly accused Jichidza of stripping him of his position and ordered the group to kill him. Jichidza lost consciousness during the assault. The men allegedly carried him away from the homestead and left him in an unfinished house some distance away, out of view of his relatives.
Two of Jichidza’s sons, Brighton and Shelton, were also assaulted, according to the allegations. Shelton later found his father’s body in the unfinished building and reported the matter to police. The State says police attended the scene and their investigation led to the arrests.
Jichidza’s body was taken to Gokwe North District Hospital. Dr Emmerson Nguluvhe certified him dead, while a full post-mortem examination by a pathologist was still pending, according to the information presented in court.
The case has placed the role of the two police officers at the centre of the allegations. Chitsinde is accused of bringing his service rifle to the homestead and using its butt to strike Jichidza after the victim had already been hit with a knobkerrie and thrown to the ground. Sibanda, who is stationed at Nembudziya Police Station, is among the six people remanded with the chief.
The court account also describes a planned arrival and a group attack rather than a sudden encounter: the men travelled together in the chief’s vehicle, approached the home after its lights were switched off, surrounded the homestead and then ordered those inside to lie down. The family’s report to police, and Shelton’s discovery of the body, preceded the arrests.
The State’s account identifies one additional person who has not been arrested. An accomplice who remains at large is said to have switched off the vehicle’s lights before the group surrounded the home. The court information does not identify that person by name.
The group’s court appearances came amid a separate government announcement on the conduct expected of traditional leaders. On October 13, Local Government and Public Works Permanent Secretary Tafadzwa Muguti said the Government planned to issue a circular setting out ethical standards for chiefs and warning that breaches of the Constitution and the Traditional Leaders Act could lead to disciplinary action. The announcement was made at a meeting with provincial chiefs’ assembly chairpersons and local government officials. It was not presented as a response to the case involving Jichidza.
The allegations in the Nembudziya case centre on a long-running question of authority within the community: who holds the chieftainship and whether Jichidza had challenged or displaced Chief Chireya. Prosecutors say that accusation was voiced during the attack itself and formed the reason given for ordering Jichidza’s death.
The court proceedings have brought together the traditional leader, two police officers and four other men in a case that began with an assault at a family home after dark. Jichidza’s sons were allegedly attacked alongside him; his body was moved from the homestead; and it was Shelton who found him and alerted police. The seven accused remain in custody as the case awaits referral to the regional court.
At the October 13 meeting, Muguti also described chiefs’ responsibilities in local governance, land allocation, environmental protection and dispute resolution. He urged the National Council of Chiefs to support training and development programmes, and set out administrative channels for raising local issues with district and provincial officials. Those remarks concerned standards and procedures for traditional leadership generally; no link to the allegations against Chief Chireya was announced.
The criminal case now moves forward with all seven accused in custody. The account before the court places the fatal assault at Jichidza’s homestead, followed by the removal of his unconscious body to a separate, unfinished building. His son’s discovery and police report were followed by an investigation and the arrests. The next stage will be the referral of the matter to the regional court.