BY STAFF REPORTER
A disturbing scandal has rocked Harare, after four suspects were arrested for the massive desecration of approximately 380 graves and corpses at Restland Memorial Park in Rainham.
The alleged crimes, which occurred between 2015 and 2024, have left the community reeling in shock.
According to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), the suspects – Edwin Muronzi, Tinashe Chiguma (32), Moses Gwanya (19), and Kudakwashe Humure (21) – were arrested after Tinashe Chiguma reported experiencing terrifying visions of dead people requesting to know the whereabouts of their relatives.
Chiguma implicated his employer, Edwin Muronzi, and his accomplices, leading to their arrest.
Investigations revealed a sinister plot, where Edwin Muronzi employed grave diggers, including the suspects, and paid them between $15 and $20 per grave.
The grave diggers were instructed to dig up existing graves to make way for new burials.
In the process, they would pack human skeletal remains into empty cement bags, wrap them in burial clothes, and dispose of them in a trench or dam behind the cemetery.
Traditional artifacts buried with the bodies were also callously discarded.
The suspects would then resell the desecrated graves to unsuspecting new clients, who were unaware of the grave reuse.
The ZRP is conducting a thorough investigation, including forensic analysis, to identify the affected graves, bodies, and relatives.
The police are appealing for information leading to the arrest of outstanding suspects, identified only as Kevy, Shumba, and Dread. Anyone with information can contact the National Complaints Desk or report to the nearest police station.