Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. A confrontation took place at Nyaradzo Funeral Parlour in Bulawayo on Sunday between the family of the late Constable Cassandra Hove and senior police officers, as the family demanded answers and justice regarding her death.
Hove, a female detective involved in a police operation to apprehend armed robbers in Pumula South last Thursday, was shot in the chest and declared dead at a local clinic around 9 PM.
The funeral service, scheduled for 10 AM, was abruptly postponed due to heightened emotions among mourners and close family members, who confronted the police officers present.
The situation escalated when some family members verbally attacked the officers, accusing them of withholding the truth about Hove’s death.
The police claimed that Hove was not killed by the robbers but by one of her colleagues. The family demanded clarification on whether the shooting was an accident or intentional.
According to the police, Hove was shot in the upper limbs during an exchange of gunfire with robbers around 8:40 PM. She was rushed to a nearby private clinic, where she was pronounced dead upon arrival.
The family also sought answers about the identities of the officers involved in the Pumula South raid, as well as the person who authorised Hove’s post-mortem.
They were shocked to discover that someone else had signed the hospital documents as Hove’s next of kin, and they claimed to have had no involvement in the process. Said a family member:
There is something suspicious about all this. Why did the police rush to conduct a post-mortem without our consent or knowledge?
Why were they collecting bereavement monies without our knowledge? Where did that money go?
Also, why did the police notify us about her death hours after she had been killed? They also demanded her mobile phones and title deeds to the house for reasons best known to them.
The family expressed their dissatisfaction with the police’s account of the events and vowed to continue seeking justice until those responsible were held accountable.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Ryan Gambinga said they were deeply shocked and disturbed by the tragic circumstances surrounding Hove’s death. He said:
While we initially received conflicting reports, our recent meeting with ZRP Bulawayo has confirmed that a fellow police officer, and not armed robbers, was involved in this devastating incident.
The family clashed with the officers present until around 3 PM, when tensions eased after a closed-door meeting with several unidentified senior police officials. Said Gambinga:
We decided to proceed with the service after meeting with the police. They assured us that they would launch a full investigation into the matter.
They gave us their highest assurance, and as a family, we decided to go ahead with the proceedings.
It is now up to them as the police to uphold their end of the bargain.
Gambinga said the family was disappointed that those directly involved in the matter had failed to come forward, preventing the family from finding closure.
He also revealed that the late Hove had recently been awarded a scholarship to study forensic investigations in Russia. He said:
We had sorted all her paperwork and were in the process of securing funds. This is truly a tragedy.
Several police officers attended Hove’s emotional send-off, but none from the Criminal Investigations Department’s elite Homicide Unit, known as “Lozikeyi,” were present.
Hove is survived by four children and will be laid to rest at her rural home in Mberengwa on Monday, 10 March.
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