A 49-year-old Zimbabwean man from Mwenezi reportedly assaulted his father after accusing him of witchcraft and cut off his index finger before locking him away in a hut where he was found dead five days later.

Masvingo Provincial Police Spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa confirmed the matter.

The deceased Murambiwa Wanyara was detained on Tuesday last week and found dead on the country’s Independence Day (April 18, 2021). It is suspected that he died from excessive bleeding.

Masvingo Mirror reports that sources said that on Tuesday at around 11 am, the accused Fainos Wanyara called his father to his homestead and accused him of witchcraft.

He started assaulting his father at around 7 pm and then detained him in a round hut. He later went into the hut and cut off his father’s left index finger using a knife in a bid to force him to accept that he was a witch.

Later Fainos and his wife left home, leaving the father locked in the hut.

It is alleged that Fainos returned on Independence day and looked for a scotch cart to ferry the deceased’s body home. He alerted Amos Magomana (51) who reported the matter to police.

The accused is due to appear in court soon.