Four Arrested For Violating 380 Graves And Exhuming Corpses At Restland Memorial Park
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has confirmed the arrest of four people in connection with the desecration of 380 graves and corpses at Restland Memorial Park in Rianham, Harare.
ZRP spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi revealed that Edwin Muronzi, Tinashe Chiguma (32), Moses Gwanya (19), and Kudakwashe Humure (21) were apprehended for their involvement in violating graves and human remains between 2015 and 2024.
It is alleged that the suspects, working as gravediggers, excavated existing graves to make space for new burials.
They reportedly removed human skeletal remains, packed them into empty cement bags, wrapped them in burial clothing, and then disposed of them in a trench or dam located behind the cemetery. Reads the statement:
ARREST OF FOUR SUSPECTS FOR MASSIVE VIOLATION OF 380 GRAVES AND CORPSES AT RESTLAND MEMORIAL PARK, RAINHAM, HARARE.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms the arrest of Edwin Muronzi, Tinashe Chiguma (32), Moses Gwanya (19) and Kudakwashe Humure (21) in connection with the massive violation of approximately 380 graves and corpses at Restland Memorial Park, Rainham, Harare between 2015 and 2024.
On 04th December 2024, police arrested Tinashe Chiguma after he made a report that he had been experiencing visions of dead people requesting to know the whereabouts of their relatives.
Tinashe Chiguma implicated his employers, Edwin Muronzi, Moses Gwanya and Kudakwashe Humure, leading to their arrest.
Investigations by the Police revealed that Edwin Muronzi employed grave diggers at the cemetery including the suspects and others who are on the run and paid them between USD 15.00 and USD 20.00 per every grave.
The grave diggers allegedly received instructions from Edwin Muronzi to dig the graves to pave the way for new graves and subsequent burials.
In the process, they would come across human skeletal remains which they would pack in empty cement bags before wrapping them in clothes used during burial and disposing them in a trench or a dam behind the cemetery. They would also dispose of the traditional artefacts buried with the bodies.
Edwin Muronzi and his team would then resale the graves to new clients to bury their late relatives without suspecting anything after cleaning and rearranging the used graves.
A team from Zimbabwe Republic Police including Forensic Science is conducting investigations with the view of identifying the graves which were tempered with, to identify the bodies through their relatives and the whole area where the illegally exhumed bodies and artefacts were being dumped.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police is appealing for information which may lead to the arrest of the outstanding suspects only identified as Kevy, Shumba and Dread.
Anyone with information to contact the National Complaints Desk on (0242) 703631 or WhatsApp on 0712 800 197 or report at any nearest Police Station.
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