Mother, son held at St Mary’s Police station

THE man plucked from the ceiling of his parents’ house in Zengeza 3 on Monday, Grant Mashasha, 39, and his mother Plaxedes Mashasha, are being held at St Mary’s Police Station.

Grant was found in the ceiling when police searched the house where the body of his father, Gideon Mashasha, was found in a decomposing state.

Gideon was 80.

National police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, said investigations to establish Gogo Mashasha’s claims, about her movements and why she was staying with the corpse, have started.

Grant will be sent to psychiatric evaluation to determine his mental state.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police is investigating a case where a Zengeza man’s body was found in an advanced state of decomposition.

“Police would like to establish what exactly took place and circumstances surrounding the body found in an advanced state of decomposition and mental illness of the son found hiding in the ceiling.

“Police do not have any information pertaining to a murder case posted on social media,” he said.

Ass Comm Nyathi said they had established that Gogo Mashasha’s husband had been unwell for some time.

“Circumstances were that on November 15, the deceased’s wife was reported to have left home at around 5am, leaving her husband in the custody of Grant Mashasha, who is mentally ill.

“She was going for a church service in Zengeza 2.

“The husband was paralysed and bed ridden. He suffered a stroke sometime in 1992 and the condition worsened in 2010 and he became paralysed.

“When the wife returned home on the same day, she found her doors locked from inside.

“She claimed to have slept outside and later decided to break down the door on November 21 at around 8am,” said Ass Comm Nyathi.

He said Gogo Mashasha told them that she found her husband lying dead on his blankets, on the floor.

“She could not locate her mentally ill son Grant and lodged a police report.

“Police attended the scene and after searching the house, they located the mentally ill son in the ceiling.

“They had to break the roof and ceiling in order to retrieve the mentally ill son.”

When H-Metro visited the house yesterday, there was no one at the premises.

Gogo Mashasha was reported to be assisting police with investigations.

One Zengeza 3 resident, who grew up with Grant, described him as someone who was very quiet.

“He used to be very smart and never spoke to anyone. He used to wear designer clothes between 2005 and 2008 since he had siblings in the diaspora.

“Grant disappeared for a year only to resurface later pale and not looking well.

“We all thought he was sick. A number of people thought that he was living outside the country when he disappeared,” said the neighbour.

The neighbour claimed that Gogo Mashasha’s first-born daughter just collapsed and died in the United Kingdom.

Grant’s young brother, Graig, is said to have also died mysteriously and his body was discovered after about two weeks in a decomposing state.

*H-Metro*