Serial killer terrorises Tutume
Lebogang Mosikare | Monday February 6, 2023 06:00
In the series, the first murder case happened on January 1, 2023 and the victim was a 15-year-old boy of Magapatona ward in Tutume.
The second victim was a 73-year-old man of Nshakazhogwe village who was allegedly murdered on January 11 while the third was a 73-year-old woman of Thini ward in Tutume who was allegedly murdered on January 24.
Tutume police say they suspect that a person of interest in all the cases is a Zimbabwean man in his 20s who goes by various names such as Vicet Dube, Tapiwa, Bheki Masuku, Alias Sitlhe and Bhuki.
Station commander of Tutume police, Lesego Kgosiemang told Mmegi in an interview on Thursday that from their investigations so far, the person of interest in the three matters is a Zimbabwean illegal immigrant but he added that they will need to conduct further investigations to that effect.
“The person who allegedly committed the three murder offences is known by some people in Tutume and neighbouring villages. According to the information that we have gathered, some people usually hire him to do menial jobs in these villages,” explained Kgosiemang.
Kgosiemang added that he was not in a position to disclose the modus operandi of the suspect because he was in Francistown on official duties and not in possession of the files for the three cases.
The police are denying information to the effect that the suspect has been arrested and was supposed to have been arraigned before the Masunga Magistrate Court on Wednesday but that did not happen because there was no magistrate. Mmegi sources added that the matters were then postponed to Thursday when it was expected that a magistrate would be available.
“We have not arrested anyone in relation to the recent murders within our policing area. We have heard information that the suspect was arrested but that is not the case.
We are therefore, pleading with members of the public to help us with any information that could lead to the arrest of the suspect,” said Kgosiemang. The recent murder cases have reignited fear in Tutume communities and surrounding villages.
They fear that a serial killer is once again living in their vicinity following a series of murder, arson, theft and rape cases that griped Sebina and surrounding villages in 2013.
The rape and murder of people, especially old women at Sebina and surrounding villages still remain a mystery today. Nobody has been charged with committing the offences.
At first it was thought that the prime suspect in the matters was Mcgini Ncube who was later dubbed the “Sebina Monster” from Zimbabwe. Ncube was later sentenced by Magistrate Thebeetsile Mulalu in 2014 to five years in jail for two counts of arson.