Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. THE death of a Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service officer has opened a can of worms amid conflicting accounts from police and family members over what transpired.
In a statement, national police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said Tawanda Marumahoko (32) was part of a gang that allegedly staged a US$10 000 armed robbery involving a bread delivery truck near Chinhoyi Heroes Acre on November 14, 2025.
Nyathi confirmed the arrest of Kenneth Tsvarisai, the driver, who was taken into custody after reporting what initially appeared to be a genuine armed robbery along the Harare-Chirundu Road.
Tsvarisai had claimed that unknown assailants robbed him of US$10 000 and a cellphone while he was transporting bread from Banket to Chinhoyi.
However, police investigations quickly uncovered inconsistencies, eventually revealing that the robbery had been stage-managed.
“On 15th November 2025, detectives arrested the truck driver, Kenneth Tsvarisai, after receiving information which linked him to the purported robbery incident,” Nyathi said.
“Investigations established that Tsvarisai provided inside information to other suspects and connived to stage-manage the robbery soon after receiving the money from his manager.”
Under interrogation, Tsvarisai allegedly implicated Marumahoko, resulting in the recovery of US$4 680, believed to be part of the stolen money.
Police said Marumahoko admitted to having used US$300 to hire a lawyer after learning of Tsvarisai’s arrest.
According to the police, Marumahoko later led detectives to the crime scene where officers recovered an Eko P29 ONT 007 blowgun loaded with eight rounds.
But events surrounding Marumahoko’s final moments have raised questions.
Police allege that the prison officer attempted to flee during the operation and was subsequently flogged by a mob attempting to effect a “citizen’s arrest”.
He was later taken to Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital, where he died upon admission.
However, the police have not explained how Marumahoko managed to escape from police custody or how the mob became involved in apprehending and assaulting him.
The police have also not announced any arrests in connection with his death, despite acknowledging that he died from injuries sustained in an assault.
Nyathi said investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding his death are ongoing.
Meanwhile, police are looking for two more suspects identified only as William and Spencer, who allegedly participated in the staged robbery.
Marumahoko’s family insists the official version is a fabrication meant to conceal torture.
According to his wife, Mary Muzama, Marumahoko was arrested in town on Saturday morning before detectives accompanied him home to collect items they said were needed.
He was taken to Chinhoyi Police Station, where Muzama says her husband was brutally assaulted.
Muzama claims she was also detained and allegedly beaten for nearly four hours, with her phone confiscated.
Muzama said when she first saw her husband at around 1700 hours on Saturday, he was in such a “bad state” that he could neither sit nor walk.
“When I first saw him at Chinhoyi Police Station, he could hardly walk. His legs were swollen, the right one was bleeding and he kept falling. His forehead was also swollen,” she recounted.
Muzama alleged that some officers threatened to kill her husband, saying he was a “problematic” suspect who frequently got released after arrest.
“This time around, don’t be surprised to hear that your husband has been shot dead because your husband is giving us problems,” she claimed one officer told her.
Muzama said the last time she saw Marumahoko alive, he could not make any movement.
Officers then told her to go home and return the following day.
“He tried to sit up twice but fell on his stomach. From that moment, I never saw any movement until they dismissed me to go home,” she said, her voice cracking.
Muzama insisted that Marumahoko was in no condition to be taken for indications to the crime scene.
Marumahoko’s uncle, Office Marumahoko, who travelled from Magunje to seek answers, echoed similar sentiments.
He said the family was still “in shock and confusion,” adding that they had not yet been given access to Tawanda’s body.
“We are still in shock over what happened. And besides, they still have the body of our son. It’s painful,” he said.
The family also question the police version that a mob appeared in a bushy area “where there are no homes,” and argue that the “mob” explanation was added later to sanitise the circumstances of his death.
There have been reports of suspected armed robbers shot dead during crime indications, a process of reconstructing events and gathering evidence.
Investigations reveal that crime indications have become synonymous with fear and dread for suspected armed robbers.
For them, these seemingly routine procedures carry an ominous weight, often culminating in fatal encounters.
Incidentally, the majority of suspects have been shot dead while in leg irons, with police claiming they tried to run or disarm law enforcement agents.
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