Gokwe (New Ziana) – A 38-year-old Gokwe man has been arrested for allegedly murdering his two-year-old daughter for suspected ritual purposes.

Police said the accused, Thomas Muzenda allegedly committed the crime to boast his mining business and implicated a local traditional healer.

A manhunt has since been launched by police for the traditional healer.

Midlands police spokesperson, Emmanuel Mahoko said Muzenda allegedly murdered the girl sometime in January at Village 17 Mupukuta under Chief Chireya in Gokwe North.

He had custody of the victim, and a seven-year-old son, after he divorced his wife, but later took the son to his mother, and remained with the two-year-old girl.

“He is alleged to have approached a traditional healer only named as Dhumba for rituals to boost his mining business and was told to sacrifice one of his children,” Mahoko said.

“Muzenda, on an unknown date in January 2023, is alleged to have killed his two-year-old daughter, removed her heart and threw the body into a disused mine,” he said.

The issue was discovered when his daughter’s maternal grandmother went to Muzenda’s homestead to enquire about her granddaughter but was not given satisfactory answers.

“A report was made to the police and investigations led to the arrest of Muzenda. Dhumba is still at large,” Mahoko said.

New Ziana