A seven-year-old pupil, Anotida Makoto, died after a fight with another child of the same age at Zengenene Primary School in Murewa, police have confirmed.
The incident happened on Friday, October 23, 2026, on the school grounds in Mashonaland East Province. Makoto reportedly collapsed and lost consciousness after the altercation. He was taken to St Paul’s Musami Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“He was pronounced dead upon arrival at St Paul’s Musami Hospital,” Zimbabwe Republic Police national spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said in a statement.
Police have not publicly detailed what led to the fight. The other pupil’s name has been withheld because of the child’s age. Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident are under way. Police urged parents, guardians and school authorities to promote conflict resolution and ensure children are supervised, to help prevent similar tragedies.
The death comes amid a separate case in Mashonaland West in which an eight-year-old boy died after being assaulted during a homework session. The cases occurred in different parts of the country and involved different circumstances.
In Siakobvu, Nyaminyami District, a 22-year-old man, Milder Madyembeu, was arrested in connection with the death of his nephew, Nico Mujoni. The incident occurred at Siachitondo Village in Kauzhumba on Wednesday, October 21.
Police said the boy had been studying with his uncle when he struggled to understand the concepts being taught. Commissioner Nyathi said Madyembeu allegedly assaulted him with a Mopane stick and that the child later died from his injuries.
“The suspect allegedly assaulted his eight-year-old nephew, Nico Mujoni with a Mopane stick after the victim had failed to master concepts which the suspect was teaching him during a homework study session. The child later succumbed to the injuries sustained,” Nyathi said.
A separate court case earlier this year involved the death of six-year-old Praise Tsomeka in Zvishavane. Takudzwa Wellington Chimutso, 28, was convicted of culpable homicide by the High Court sitting in Gweru and sentenced to an effective seven years in prison.
The court heard that Chimutso had been teaching Tsomeka to write her name on the evening of January 19, 2026. When she struggled with the lesson, he struck her with switches. The assault continued the following day as he tried to teach her vowels and writing. He later beat her with a sjambok.
The girl remained in severe pain as her condition worsened. On January 21, Chimutso and another person took her to a shrine before eventually bringing her to Zvishavane Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival. Chimutso was sentenced to nine years, with 2 years suspended, leaving an effective prison term of 7 years.
In another case, a prisoner at Inyathi Prison has been sentenced to an additional 12 months behind bars for assaulting a fellow inmate during a dispute over cleaning duties.
Godknows Ndlovu, 24, pleaded guilty to assault and was convicted by Inyathi magistrate Ms Meggie Ruzive. The court heard that he grabbed fellow prisoner Thulani Ndlovu, 26, and banged his head against a wall, leaving him with a deep cut.
The incident took place at about 8pm on October 12, after the 2 inmates disagreed over cleaning duties in their cell. Prosecutor Mr Farirai Chakanga told the court that the dispute escalated into a fight, during which Godknows assaulted Thulani.
In a victim impact statement, Thulani told the court that the assault had affected him so severely that he was unable to chew. Ms Ruzive said the incident was concerning because it took place in a correctional facility, where inmates are expected to undergo rehabilitation.
“The irony is particularly concerning because of the setting, which happens to be a correctional facility where inmates are expected to undergo rehabilitation,” she said.
The magistrate noted that Godknows had previous assault convictions. In an earlier case in June, he had received an effective 4-month prison sentence, while a further 4 months that had previously been suspended was later brought into effect.
The court considered his age and guilty plea as mitigating factors. However, Ms Ruzive said a custodial sentence was necessary in light of his previous convictions and the need to deter further violence. The additional 12-month term will run consecutively to the sentence he is already serving.