-foul play suspected
LOVEMORE CHAZINGWA
KADOMA CITY-A young Kadoma resident, Mike Mukotami was found dead in what the family described as foul play, under a short tree behind Kadoma Hotel and Conference Centre early last week morning.
He was 23.
A pedestrian sight pictures him having hung himself to the tree using a handbag belt.
However, a closer look indicated that he had an injured right ear with blood stains while the height of the tree to which he appeared to have hanged himself and his personal stature raise suspicions over what may have really caused his death.
According to a family spokesperson who is his uncle, Vengai Chingwaya, the body of the deceased was found hanging from the short tree behind the famous hotel.
Chingwaya said a man who came to perform construction work at a nearby suburb stumbled on the body when he was looking for a place to relieve himself. He went on to inform his colleagues and together they informed ZRP Kadoma details.
“When we got a call from the police on Mike’s death, we thought it was a case of mistaken identity. We knew he left home for work on Saturday morning as usual. As family members we went to the place in the company of a police officer. We wanted to observe the place and surroundings for us to at least understand what may have transpired. We also intended to cut off the tree to avoid recurrence. We were surprised by what we saw and could not cut off the tree due to circumstances at the scene. We found it odd that he sustained an injured and swollen right ear. His body was tied on the neck to his handbag belt. The same belt is the one that was tied to the tree. We found it absurd and decided against cutting off the tree as we suspect foul play.”
His uncle added that sources at Central Bakery where he worked told them that he just asked for a smoking break and never returned to work, only to learn about his death days later.
Chingwaya continued, “We heard about it Monday morning after he had not come back home over the weekend. We thought he had asked for overtime, which he normally did at his work place where he was a casual employee.”
The family spokesperson said they are deeply saddened and want his soul to seek and mete out justice over his demise. “We’re deeply saddened as a family because he was one person who would get along with anyone in our family. He was a jovial character who minded his own business. He was one person who would castigate those who took their own lives, labelling them cowards. When we heard about it we thought there was mistaken identity as we never imagined it could be our own Mike.
“We think that, from wherever he is, he has to enable us to find the truth and make those who may be responsible for this heinous act be brought to book. We suspect foul play as the scene shows no sign of suicidal manifestations. The tree from which he was hanging is too short for his height to hang. He had his small bag and belongings which he carried to work. His private body parts were intact but, you never know people can do anything including draining bodily fluids and use them for their sinister intentions. We found his lifeless body in a hidden place within the bushes. If it were not for this construction man, you never know, he could have decomposed there. This construction worker is the one who directed us to the spot.
“When we searched if we could find something on him, we only got a US$5, a box of matches and small phone with only a single contact in the sim card. The number is the one which was used to contact us,” Chingwaya narrated.
The deceased was buried at Rimuka Cemetery on Thursday afternoon.
Mike Mukotami was single and resided at 228 Chanatsira Street, GB Section of Rimuka suburb.
