By Advent Shoko
Zimbabwe is reeling after a string of heartbreaking incidents involving children, brutal killings, a mysterious learner death, and a dam disaster, all within days of each other. As a crime and courts reporter, you learn to separate emotion from fact. But some stories hit the nation in the chest. This is one of those weeks.
Police have confirmed three separate investigations in Masvingo Province alone, each exposing painful questions about child safety, supervision, and responsibility.
Zaka Mountain Horror: Relative Accused Of Killing Two Learners
The most chilling case comes from Gondora Mountain in Zaka, where police say a trusted family member turned predator. According to a Zimbabwe Republic Police press statement dated 29 January 2026, Obedience Makonye (29) has been arrested in connection with the murders of Elizabeth Munetsi (14) and Shepherd Makonye (9). Police say the children were on their way home from school on 26 January when the suspect allegedly lured them to the mountain.
What allegedly happened next has stunned even seasoned investigators.
Police say the suspect sexually abused the teenage girl in the presence of her young cousin, before allegedly killing both children to cover up the crime. Their bodies were later found dumped on the mountain. Makonye was arrested the following day, 27 January, after allegedly confessing. Detectives recovered a kitchen knife believed to have been used in the attack.
This is now a murder case likely headed for the High Court, given the gravity of the charges. Beyond the legal process, the case has torn through the Zaka community, where the suspect was reportedly known to the victims. Crimes involving relatives often leave deeper psychological scars because trust itself becomes the weapon.
Chiredzi Mystery: Fout Year-Old Found Dead After School
While Zaka mourned, Chiredzi woke up to another nightmare. Four-year-old Steadfast Makondo, an ECD-A learner, was found dead on 27 January 2026 after reportedly going missing while coming from school. Her body was discovered under a Marula tree in Newtown, Chiredzi, with multiple bruises. Police are investigating the case as murder. Her family is demanding answers, and accountability. Said her mother, Ms Khongelani Livombo:
“I tried to look for my child, hoping she would be found safe, but I was shocked when I was informed that she had been found dead. What pains me most is that the school authorities seemed unbothered about her disappearance, even though it happened while she was at school.”
Her father, Mr Travor Makondo, added:
“It is very hard to accept this news. I had high hopes for my child, who seemed bright at school.”
The tragedy has shifted attention to school supervision, especially for Early Childhood Development learners who are too young to protect themselves. The school transporter, Lovemore Muchono, says he noticed she was missing during morning drop-off. He said:
“I collect four children around that time, and when I arrived at the school only three were there. I asked a colleague to help drop off the three while I stayed to look for Steadfast, but I could not find her.”
That gap, the moment between drop-off and accountability, is now under a harsh spotlight. The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has responded. Said Deputy Director for Communications and Advocacy, Mr Patrick Zumbo:
“As a Ministry, the safety of our learners is our greatest concern. Teaching and non-teaching staff are responsible for children while at school. There must be a proper handover and takeover of ECD learners.”
But for many parents, that sounds like policy on paper. The question is whether it is working on the ground.
Tugwi-Mukosi Dam Disadtet: Safety Warnings Ignored?
As if the week was not heavy enough, police are also investigating a drowning incident at Tugwi-Mukosi Dam on 28 January 2026. Leona Zendekanyi (26) and three-year-old Saint Munyaradzi died after a boat carrying ten people capsized when it allegedly struck a hard object in the water. Police have since renewed warnings about overloading boats, lack of safety equipment, and risky water travel. It is a different type of tragedy, but still rooted in one theme: preventable loss of life.
A PATTERN OF VULNERABILITY
Though these tragedies happened in different places and under different circumstances, together they expose one chilling truth: children in Zimbabwe remain dangerously vulnerable, at school, on the road, at home, and even during routine travel, as police urge tighter parental supervision, schools are reminded to enforce strict handover procedures, communities demand stronger security, arrests have already been made in the Zaka murders, investigations continue in Chiredzi and Ngundu, and the nation is left asking the hardest question of all, how many warning signs must appear before the systems meant to protect children truly start working?
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