Kuwadzana Tragedy: Josephine Mutongi arrested
Police in Zimbabwe on Tuesday confirmed the arrest of Josephine Mutongi, a community activist who, in the days before her detention, publicly defended her fundraising for the families of the three deceased children in Kuwadzana and claimed she was being unfairly targeted for helping the community mourn.
In a brief statement posted on the social media platform X on Tuesday evening, the Zimbabwe Republic Police announced, “The ZRP confirms the arrest of Josephine Mutongi in connection with ongoing investigations. More details will be released tomorrow.” The post did not specify the charges.
The arrest follows a tense period in which Ms. Mutongi and the police presented conflicting narratives. In a formal press statement on Oct. 5, police accused her of “taking advantage of the Kuwadzana children’s tragedy” by soliciting funds under false pretences and spreading inflammatory misinformation that the victims had missing body parts.
However, in emotional interviews conducted prior to her arrest, Ms. Mutongi contested these allegations, arguing her actions were transparent and intended only to support the grieving families. She claimed to have kept meticulous records of the donations. “We have written it down on paper with the parents,” she stated, adding that she had receipts for money given to the families of the victims.
She stated that approximately $300 had been raised in total, and that her personal mobile money account, which she said was blocked by authorities, held about $44 of the donations at the time it was shut down. Her WhatsApp was also blocked, she said.
Ms. Mutongi also refuted the police’s characterisation of a planned community event as an illegal gathering. She insisted it was meant to be a peaceful expression of grief, not a protest. “We are not going to march, we are just going to walk,” she said, weeping. “To hold hands and to share our grief”. She expressed immense frustration, stating, “We are hurt… we are just crying”.
In its Oct. 5 statement, the police force had directly contradicted the claims about the children’s bodies, stating there was “no evidence that one or all of the victims had missing body parts.” The police also asserted that the victims’ families had “disowned Josphine Mutongi.”
In her interviews, Ms. Mutongi portrayed herself as a target. “They are hunting me, they are vilifying me,” she said, questioning the effectiveness and motives of the police response to the children’s deaths.
Further details from the police regarding the investigation and the specific charges against Ms. Mutongi are expected to be released on Wednesday. – Zimbo LIVE Harare
