Zimbabwe – A Snake Park man was over the weekend arrested in connection with the murder of a fishmonger whose corpse was found floating in Lake Chivero last week.
Bright Zhantali 29, was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi facing murder charges.
Magistrate Mangosi denied him bail and referred him to the High Court for bail considerations, H-Metro reports
It is in the State’s case that on June 21 at around 3 pm, Zhantali was wearing a shirt similar to the ones worn by Park Rangers when he met the now deceased Nester Chiikwengo aged 45 who was self-employed as a fishmonger who intended to buy fish for resale.
The two boarded a private Honda Fit and before they arrived they disembarked on the pretext that he would be seen by alleged co-workers on duty that he had fish and they used a path which is left of the boom gate.
As they were on the pathway, he allegedly grabbed her and started demanding money before he took her US$30 and her cell phone and raped her, and as she was screaming he gagged her and she died on the spot.
The court heard that when he realised that she had died, he took her clothes and bucket and burnt them at an anthill, and went away.
On July 4, the informant Simon Makwansila of Kamba Caravan Park went to the forest for prayers and smelt a stench smell, and when he went to investigate he discovered the decomposing body.
Zhantali was identified wearing the same attire by members of the public who apprehended him and handed him over to the police.
