Wedza man’s visit to girlfriend ends in tears: 2nd postmortem reveals cause of death

HWEDZA – What began as a family’s grief over the sudden death of their 26-year-old son, Godrich Muchecheterwa, has transformed into a determined quest for justice, after suspicions of foul play emerged surrounding his passing on May 24, 2023.

Initially, it was believed that Godrich had succumbed to poisoning after a visit to his girlfriend, Tanatswa Moleni’s, homestead in the Mukarati area, near Garabha shopping centre in Hwedza. However, inconsistencies and unanswered questions soon led the Muchecheterwa family to suspect a more sinister truth.

Emmanuel Muchecheterwa, Godrich’s father, received the call informing him of his son’s death, but it was upon arriving at the mortuary at Mt St Mary’s Mission Hospital in Hwedza that his suspicions were first aroused. He noticed a distinct scar on Godrich’s head, an injury that was never explained.

Driven by a father’s instinct, Muchecheterwa demanded a post-mortem examination to ascertain the true cause of death before the burial could proceed. The body was subsequently transferred to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare for the procedure.

The initial post-mortem results indicated that Godrich had died of food poisoning. However, the unexplained wound on his head continued to trouble the family. Undeterred, they pressed for further investigation.

A second post-mortem, conducted on June 26, 2023, revealed evidence of foul play, solidifying the family’s suspicions and igniting their relentless pursuit of justice.

“I knew something was not right,” Muchecheterwa told NewsDay Weekender, recalling the moment he saw the scar. “As a father, I had to get to the bottom of this.”

Despite the lingering questions, the family proceeded with Godrich’s burial on June 28, 2023, approximately a month after his death. Muchecheterwa explained that he agreed to the burial because police had been given results which showed that there was foul play, which needed to be investigated. Strikingly, the Moleni family did not attend the funeral, despite residing in the same area.

In a move that raised eyebrows, the Muchecheterwa family took Godrich’s corpse to the Moleni’s homestead during the funeral procession in protest. This action led to Muchecheterwa being summoned to Headman Chigwedere’s court, where he was accused of “making the house dirty” in Shona culture and ordered to pay two goats as a fine.

“It was a cultural taboo, but I did it out of anger and grief,” Muchecheterwa explained.

Following Godrich’s burial, Muchecheterwa embarked on a tireless journey, visiting numerous police stations – from Hwedza and Marondera to the Police General Headquarters in Harare – in his quest for answers. He claims to have visited police stations around 50 times from the year 2023 up to July 2025, but his pleas for help initially appeared to fall on deaf ears.

“At some point, I believed that the Moleni family was dealing with the authorities to cover up the truth,” he said. “I had lost hope that closure would ever come. In our culture, the death of a person cannot be concealed or covered up. The truth will always come out, and I was determined to see justice served.”

The breakthrough came when Godrich’s case was transferred to the CID homicide unit in early July of this year. Two investigation teams were assigned to the case, and they soon uncovered the truth behind Godrich’s death, implicating the Moleni family.

According to the allegations, on the day Godrich died, he had a disagreement with Mary Moleni, the mother of his girlfriend, Tanatswa. It is alleged that Mary struck Godrich with a log, and George Moleni (grandfather) and Margaret Moleni (grandmother) joined in, kicking him until he lost consciousness.

The Molenis are then alleged to have called Evans Mupezeni, their nephew, to dispose of the lifeless body for a fee. However, they were reportedly seen by villagers, leading them to hire a taxi to transport the body to Mt St Mary’s mortuary.

As a result of these findings, Mary, George, Margaret, and Evans were arrested a fortnight ago in connection with Godrich’s death. The Moleni family members appeared in court on July 11 and were remanded in custody at St Thomas Marondera Prison until July 25.

Muchecheterwa’s unwavering determination to uncover the truth behind his son’s death has brought a sense of relief, but he acknowledges that the journey to justice is far from over.

“I am relieved that the truth is finally coming to light,” he said. “I hope the courts will deliver justice for my son’s death.”