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Peter Matika, [email protected]

IN a shocking turn of events, a Bulawayo court yesterday heard that Detective Constable Cassandra Hove tragically died when a bullet ricocheted off a suspected armed robber and struck her in the left breast.

The incident occurred during a covert operation in Pumula South suburb, early this month. 

The case has captured the nation’s attention with its surprising developments, after a police detective stationed at Hillside Police Station, Nomore Muradzikwa, 37, allegedly confessed to the fatal shooting.

Muradzikwa appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Maxwell Ncube on charges of murder and was not asked to plead, before being remanded in custody to April 1.

He was advised to apply for bail at the High Court of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.

Muradzikwa is being represented by his lawyer, Mr Tinashe Tashaya of Sengweni Legal Services. Ms Nkanyezi Xaba represented the State.

CZ pistol model

It was stated in court documents that the fatal shooting occurred on March 6, when Muradzikwa and the late Hove were part of a team leading a covert operation to apprehend suspected armed robbers in Pumula South suburb.

“The accused was armed with a CZ pistol serial number BSAP 44 when he advanced towards, Fikile Ncube aged 26, a male adult, NR 28-160313 K, residing at house number 14804 Pumula South, Bulawayo, a suspect in a robbery case investigated by CID Homicide,” Ms Xaba told the court.

“He corked his firearm and shot at him hitting him once on the left elbow after which the bullet ricocheted and hit the deceased once on the left breast resulting in her death,” read the circumstances of the case.

Muradzikwa, who appeared to hold no emotion on the matter, was escorted to the courts by detectives from CID Homicide yesterday morning, with the matter only being heard in the afternoon.

However, some of Hove’s family members who attended the court hearing said they only learnt of Muradzikwa’s alleged confession through social media.

They also expressed dissatisfaction with the police, whom they accuse of not informing them of the developments.

Mr Abias Hove, a brother to the late Cassandra, said it would have been prudent for the police to notify them so that all relatives could attend court to hear the series of events of that night.

“We just learnt of this today, after seeing the developments on online papers and social media. Procedurally, I thought police should inform us about this, but we are disappointed that they did not do so,” said Mr Hove.

He said there are many questions that need answering to put their hearts and minds at ease.

“It’s disenchanting that this man only confessed now, two weeks after the death of our sister. Where and what was he doing all this time? 

“What were the police doing? There are a lot of questions that need to be answered,” said Mr Hove.

The late Hove died at the age of 37 and is survived by four children. A member of Bulawayo’s elite all-female CID unit known as Team Lozikeyi, she was buried at her rural home in Mataruse Village, Mberengwa District in the Midlands Province.

The incident occurred around 8:40pm in the Habbek area of Pumula South suburb, where initial reports suggested that Hove and her colleagues were pursuing suspects involved in a series of armed robberies.