More than 24 hours after the blast that rocked Zengeza 2, Chitungwiza, killing five people, police had still up to yesterday afternoon no idea what caused the explosion.
The mysterious explosion occurred at a house in which a traditional healer was said to be performing unknown rituals.
At least three houses had their walls and roofs ripped off through while the bodies of some victims were mutilated with pieces of flesh flung as far away as 50 metres.
There were others though that were literally incinerated in a manner associated with high-voltage electric power or a powerful lightning bolt.
The explosion was so powerful it damaged up to 12 other houses in the neighbourhood.
Some property, including blankets and furniture, which was in the same room where some people were burnt beyond recognition, mysteriously escaped the fire as were some people who were within the yard.
Harare provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tadius Chibanda yesterday said police, other State security agents and forensic experts had not yet established the cause of the explosion.
Up till yesterday afternoon, bodies of the deceased people still lay where they were the previous day to allow for the investigations.
“We know there are a lot of assumptions as to what happened, but we need to be thorough so as to come up with what really happened. We have our experts on the ground, the army bomb disposal unit, (power utility) Zesa, homicide have all been there and we also had the pathologist attending the scene,” Chibanda said.
Top officials from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) (homicide and law and order section), a foreign pathologist and members of the army’s bomb disposal unit have been called in to lead investigations into the Chitungwiza “house of death” explosion which has left the country in shock.
Police said they have roped in the army and have alerted cooperating foreign laboratories to be on alert for assistance as they are leaving no stone unturned.
Head of the Harare law and order and homicide sections Crispen Makedenge and Cuban pathologist Gabriella Alvero are leading the investigations in a case that police officers say is complex.
Police said among the dead were four adults, including the traditional healer identified as Speakmore Mandere, a businessman who had come to consult the healer, Clever Kamudzeya, and an unidentified seven-month-old child.
Unconfirmed reports said the businessman was based in South Africa and owned a fleet of buses
Mandere’s aide Tawanda Maruma told NewsDay that he was outside the house stirring some stuff in a clay pot which Mandere used for casting out bad spirits when disaster struck.
“I do not really know what caused the explosion, but this guy used to be a prophet at the same time as being a traditional healer,” said Maruma.
However, the presence of bomb disposal and forensic experts brings in a whole new dimension to the unravelling case and could mean that authorities suspect a bomb detonated at the house.
Tadious Chibanda, Harare police spokesperson, said investigations will include the army who have supplied their bomb disposal unit to examine the presence of a bomb and land mines.
“We have roped in Central Investigation Department (CID) homicide, law and order, special forensic unit, and among other interested parties. We have summoned all our experts to attend to this complex matter,” said Chibanda.
The owner of the house, Oliver Dumba, said in an interview yesterday that the incident happened shortly after he had ordered Mandere to vacate the property after he learnt he was a traditional healer.
Mandere’s father, Swellemu Mandere, said his son’s death had pained him.
“As far as I know, my son was a prophet who helped a lot of people. What happened pains me a lot because he even helped me out of some problems,” said a distraught Mandere
Swelimu Mandere father to the deceased traditional healer said his son doubled in ritual and apostolic activities, a development which makes the superstitious endorse the black magic theory.
Wednesday 23 January 2013
http://www.zimdiaspora.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10746:chitungwiza-blast-sorcerer-used-bomb&catid=38:travel-tips&Itemid=18
http://www.zimdiaspora.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10743:chitungwiza-mysterious-explosion-deepens&catid=38:travel-tips&Itemid=18
0 comments:
Post a Comment