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The picture collage shows the late Mduduzi Moyo (top) his grandparents (from left) Gladys Lunga, Elson Ndeza Moyo and Cingeni Moyo while Sakhubula Village head Andrew Dube (right) points to where they found the body at Kalageni Dam

Hlabile Dube Chronicle Reporter
A MAN has been charged with murder after the body of a teenager was found floating in a Tsholotsho dam.
Mduduzi Moyo, 18, of Nemane in Siyakhubula Village, disappeared from home for four days as his desperate family searched for him.They got the worst possible news after his decomposing body turned up at the Kalageni Dam on April 8.

Police arrested Langton Ndebele, 19, and Msindisi Makhwelo, 17, over Moyo’s death, but only Ndebele was charged.

Cingeni Moyo, the teenager’s grandmother, yesterday told Chronicle that the murdered teenager lived in South Africa, and was on holiday in Zimbabwe.

He left home on April 4 with his friends but never returned.

“After looking for him for days, nothing came up until the fourth day when his body was found by other villagers. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition,” Moyo tearfully told Chronicle.

A post mortem report concluded that he had been assaulted prior to his death.

Moyo added: “What pains me is that he just came to Zimbabwe for holidays as he was based in South Africa and learning there. If he had stayed there, none of this would have happened.”

Elson Moyo, the dead man’s grandfather, demanded justice for the killing, saying his grandchild did not deserve such a painful death. He was unhappy that one of the suspects had been released from police custody, alleging that he was an accomplice who might face public reprisals.

“I’m glad that Langton is in police custody, but I’m puzzled why Msindisi was released as he’s an accomplice in the murder. He does not deserve to be walking freely,” he alleged.

The area headman, Andrew Dube, said Mduduzi’s friends were angry over his death, adding that he feared for the safety of the suspects.

“His friends are very cross and they might do something bad to that boy [Msindisi]. The police should have just kept him in the holding cells because being under age does not mean innocence,” he said.

The headman said Ndebele and Makhwelo’s parents had both missed Moyo’s funeral, adding: “They didn’t even bother visiting the family of the deceased. Culturally, it’s not correct. It’s taboo.”