By Fanuel Chinowaita
Chiyadzwa, Mutare — 8 February 2026 — Police have confirmed that the death of an illegal diamond panner in Chiyadzwa is being investigated as murder, as residents allege the killing followed a pattern of repeated assaults and harassment at the Mashukashuka security base.
In an official memorandum, ZRP Marange said the matter is being treated as “murder as defined in Section 47 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act Chapter 9:23.”
The deceased was identified as Tafadzwa Chamatumba (NR 07-003373 V 07), “a male aged 66 years of Wajembwa Village, Chief Marange, Odzi,” whom police described as “an illegal diamond panner in Chiadzwa Diamond Fields.”
Police named the accused as WO2 Mabhena (818894B), a serving soldier deployed under Operation Hakudzokwe at Mashukashuka base, and P/Cst Dzitiro Phosani, a former police officer “discharged on the 20th September 2025.”
According to police, “on the 7th day of February 2026 at around 1400 hours and at Mashukashuka business centre, accused number two arrested the now deceased for disorderly conduct but the now deceased resisted.”
The memo states that the former officer “sought assistance from accused number one,” and that “accused number one and two took the now deceased to Mashukashuka base where they took turns to assault him.”
Police allege that “accused number one used a rope which was folded and accused number two used a black shambock,” adding that “they assaulted him all over the body several times pouring water on him.”
A witness, Norman Chitsau, “passed by and saw the two accused persons taking turns to assault the now deceased,” police said.
Later, “at around 1900 hours,” he allegedly encountered soldiers assaulting four other men and “positively identified one Hebert NFPK, an illegal diamond panner.”
Chitsau was allegedly assaulted and taken to a bushy area where he was shown the deceased “lying on the ground facing sideways covered with a tent.”
Police say Chitsau was instructed “to take a wheelbarrow so that he would take the now deceased to his place of residence.” Upon arrival, “Norman discovered that the now deceased was motionless and was not breathing.” When he reported back, “WO2 Mabhena showed ignorance,” the memo states.
Residents say the fatal assault was not an isolated incident. One resident told this publication: “Last week on Sunday he was assaulted by the second accused and poured water. They refused to give him a police report so that he can be treated.”
The same resident added: “I talked to him personally and he mentioned three names at the base. He must have been angry with the way he was treated last week.”
Another resident said the deceased had been “beaten last Sunday at the same security base by Phosani, the second accused,” and called on authorities to broaden the probe. “I hope they will widen the investigations, not treat this as a once-off thing but as a series of victimisation and harassment of locals,” the resident said.
Police confirmed that “ZRP Marange attended the scene,” and that the body “is still at the scene waiting for CID to attend.”
Investigations are ongoing, with police saying it remains “outstanding to arrest the accused persons.”