Chiredzi ECD Learner Set For Burial, Over A Week After Her Death

A four-year-old Early Childhood Development (ECD) learner, Steadfast Makondo, from Chiredzi Government Primary School, was set to be buried on Wednesday, 4 February, at Gonakudzingwa Farm 16 in Chikombedzi.

Steadfast went missing on Tuesday last week, and her body was found the following day in Chiredzi New Town.

Chiredzi Rural District Ward 19 councillor, Lovemore Muchono (pictured), who is also a school transporter, is now on the run after allegedly leaving a note confessing that he was responsible for Steadfast’s death.

In the note, Muchono said the child suffocated inside his car after he forgot to drop her off at school while dropping off other children.

He claimed he went to work and parked the car with Steadfast still inside. He realised she had died around lunchtime when he went to take the other children home.

Muchono said he first left her body at Chitsanga Hill before later moving it to New Town, about 500 metres from the school.

A search party found Steadfast’s body on Wednesday. Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson Paul Nyathi said the child had multiple bruises.

The body was taken to Bulawayo for a post-mortem, and police are yet to release the results

– _Masvingo Mirror_