HARARE – An 80-year-old grandmother and her 16-year-old niece were raped and then brutally murdered after being viciously attacked with knives, iron bars and logs, police said.
Police said three others, who include minors, were “seriously injured” in the attack whose motive remains unknown.
The incident at Ameva Farm in Chegutu on the night of January 7 has stunned the local community, with suspicion quickly falling on machete gold gangs who are reportedly causing havoc in the area.
ZiFM disc jockey Patience Musa revealed on Twitter that the 80-year-old victim, only identified as Gogo Antonio, was her aunt and demanded action from President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The dead teenager has been named only as Michell.
Musa tweeted: “This is my family. My aunt who was killed. What is being done about this? Mr President @edmnangagwa what are you doing about this Machete Gang???”
In a statement, police appealed for the public’s help in apprehending the individuals behind the heinous crime.
“The suspects attacked the homestead during the night using iron bars, knives and wooden logs which were later recovered at the scene. No arrests were made,” police spokesman Chief Superintendent Blessmore Chishaka said.
“We are appealing for information which might lead to the arrest of the perpetrators of this heinous crime. Anyone with information may report to any nearest police station, telephone numbers 0242-703631/748836 or ZRP WhatsApp platform 0712800197.”
Chegutu West MP Dexter Nduna visited the scene of the double murder, and posted on Facebook afterwards that “Gogo Antonio and all her female family members were raped and butchered by a group of criminals.”
“I helped Gogo Antonio get ferried to Chegutu District Hospital together with her nieces and nephews using private cars and the Rural District Council ambulance, but she died on arrival together with her niece Michell. The other three are in critical condition at Chegutu Hospital,” Nduna said.
