Family of missing war veteran accuses police of cover-up in buried bones case 

The family of Ignatius Matshotsho Moyo, a war veteran from Brunapeg in Mangwe District, Matabeleland South, who went missing in September 2024 after a trip to Bulawayo, has accused the police of misleading them regarding human bones recently discovered in Tshingababili.

 

The family said that when they visited the site, they discovered the human bones were already buried without proper forensic procedures, complicating their identification efforts.

 

This has deepened the family’s suspicions that the remains could be those of their missing relative, which contradicts claims by police who said the remains were yet to be buried.

 

In an interview with CITE, the missing person’s uncle, Milton Fabion Moyo, who lives in Brunapeg under Chief Sangulube, said he and other family members visited Tshingababili under Chief Tshitshi last Thursday to verify the status of the remains.

 

“I specifically went to see the site since they said the bones were secured. We saw the bones had been buried. We were there with the person who had discovered the bones,” he said.

 

“There were eight of us who went to bear testimony. I was with other relatives Raphael George Mpofu, Pios Mpofu, David Mpofu, Rudolph Mpofu, and myself.”

 

The other people included the person who discovered the bones, Khulekani Dube with his brother and another relative of the family who resides in that area.

 

“The area is called Tshingababili, in a plot under Chief Tshitshi. We even took pictures of where the bones are buried,” Moyo said.

 

Moyo questioned the contradictions in the police’s statements.

 

“I don’t know what the police are trying because we went there, and the bones are still underground, buried, yet they said the bones are safe,” he said.

 

The family said they will now demand an exhumation and proper forensic tests to determine whether the remains belong to Ignatius, who disappeared on September 11, 2024.

 

“On Monday, I will head to see the Officer Commanding the District (Dispol) to ask for an exhumation letter so those bones can be exhumed,” Moyo said.

 

The contradictions between the police’s official statements and the family’s observations have left the family with more questions than answers.

 

“This matter has really affected us. The missing person’s wife has not been feeling well ever since. It is not right,” Moyo said.

 

“This matter is really painful, and it’s affecting us as a family to the extent that I cannot work as I have to continuously attend to this matter.”

 

Dube, who discovered the human remains, also confirmed to CITE the bones were buried after police allegedly gave them the “go ahead.”

 

“I am the one who discovered the bones, and I stay in Tshingababili. I came across the bones when I was gathering the livestock and stumbled upon them,” he said.

 

“The Chief said we could bury the bones where I had found them. We went to the police and also went to the scene. The police said they don’t have a report of a missing person. The police are the ones who gave the go-ahead for us to bury.”

 

Dube expressed concern that he might face trouble with the police over the way the matter has been handled.

 

In a previous interview, Matabeleland South Acting Police Spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Stanford Mguni, refuted claims the remains had been buried, maintaining police had secured them for forensic examination.

 

“The scene is being attended to, and procedures are being followed. We are working with officers in Mphoengs,” he said.

 

Mguni confirmed a missing person case had been reported, but he could not confirm the identity of the remains.

 

“There is a missing person who was traveling from one village to another. One village falls under one police station, while another falls under a different one in Chief Tshitshi’s area,” he said.

 

“For now, I don’t have details on who is missing, as the case is still under investigation, but we do have a case involving human remains that were found.”

 

Mguni insisted police were following proper procedures to prevent tampering with the remains.

 

“The police are on the ground, documenting everything and securing the remains for DNA analysis,” he said.

 

He also stated the Moyo family would be required to provide DNA samples once forensic processes were complete.

 

Mguni also dismissed allegations that the remains had been buried.

 

“The bones were not buried; they were found in the open and secured to prevent them from being destroyed by animals or scavenged by dogs,” he said.

 

Ignatius went missing after traveling to Bulawayo with his wife to collect remittances from Doves Funeral Services for his late mother, who had passed away in August.

 

He decided to return back to Mphoengs while his wife remained in Bulawayo.

 

Ignatius then boarded a private vehicle heading towards Plumtree but disembarked near Figtree, claiming he had forgotten something in Bulawayo.

 

His disappearance has devastated his family, and they believe the mishandling of the recently found remains is making it harder for them to have closure. Cite