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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief

POLICE have exhumed the body of a 24-year- old Shurugwi man who was tied to a tree and severely tortured by his boss for allegedly stealing 70 grammes of gold worth US$3 400 at a mine at Bred Farm.

Fabian Mabhugu died on March 1 while admitted to Gweru Provincial Hospital from injuries sustained following his alleged 24-hour torture at the hands of thugs hired by his boss and miner Willard Mugadza.

Mabhugu was exhumed on Saturday allegedly at the instigation of his family who have requested a second postmortem opinion as they are suspicious of the first postmortem report.

Mugadza briefly appeared before Shurugwi resident magistrate Ms Sithabile Zungula on Thursday facing one count of murder and the other of abduction. He was remanded out of custody to March 24 on ZW$1000 bail.

Mabhugu was a part-time driver for Mugadza popularly known as Dread Welly. He was allegedly abducted together with his friend Lenny Hwehwe (25) after their boss claimed they had declared gold with a shortfall of 70 grammes worth US$3 400 at a mine in Shurugwi.

In an interview yesterday, Mabhugu’s elder sister, Theresa said her brother’s body which had been laid to rest at Mount Dore Cemetery at Bonza Farm in Shurugwi last Thursday was exhumed on Saturday by the police for a second postmortem.

Theresa said the postmortem report which was produced before Ms Sithabile Zungula during the brief appearance of Mugadza cited cause of death as undetermined.  “Yes, my brother’s body was exhumed by the police on Saturday and taken to Harare for a second postmortem opinion since we were not happy with the first postmortem result which said that the cause of his death is undeterminable,” she said.

“The postmortem was done by a Bulawayo Pathologist and as a family we felt that it was flawed and as a result allegedly influenced the High Court’s decision to order the lower court to release Mugadza on bail.”

She said her brother who was allegedly tortured while tied to a tree, had visible marks from his head to the toe.

“We therefore wonder why the pathologist will say the cause is undeterminable. So, we lodged a complaint after the release of Mugadza from prison and we were given police officers who guarded the grave from the day it was buried until it was exhumed,” said Theresa. “We were shocked to see the postmortem report being produced in court on Thursday when as family, we had been told by the police that it was going to be ready for collection the following day.”

It is the State case that Mabhugu and Hwehwe were allegedly driven to Chirumanzu where they were tortured over two days, allegedly on the orders of their boss.