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Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls
POLICE in Victoria Falls have recovered two bodies, one with a missing left ear, in two separate incidents in the resort town.

The deceased have been identified as Lot Masuka (38), an epileptic patient whose body was found without a left ear and Meli Dube (35) both of Mkhosana suburb.

There was speculation by residents that the ear could have been cut off for ritual purposes.

The officer commanding Victoria Falls District Chief Superintendent Jairos Chiwona confirmed both incidents which he said were being treated as sudden death.

He dismissed speculation that Masuka had been killed for ritual purposes.

“I can confirm both deaths and they are being treated as sudden death. We are aware of speculation about the missing ear but investigations so far established that there was no foul play as a post-mortem also showed that the two died of natural causes,” said Chief Supt Chiwona.

Victoria Falls Municipality employee Mr Alvin Mlilo bumped on Masuka’s body on Thursday under some bushes near the dumpsite and alerted the police.
Masuka was epileptic since his childhood, police confirmed.

It is alleged that on Thursday, Masuka left his place of residence to go and visit a friend Mr White Nyoni who resides at Masue Squatter Camp at the dumpsite.

While there, police said, the deceased suffered an epileptic attack and collapsed.

Mr Nyoni allegedly tried to contact Masuka’s parents but failed upon which he went to Chinotimba Clinic to seek help but was told there was no ambulance.

Police said Mr Nyoni went back to the scene and found the victim still lying unconscious.

Later at 5PM police said, Mr Nyoni left Masuka lying under some shrubs as he went for a beer drink and he was later found dead.

Police who attended to the scene noticed that the body had a missing left ear with some blood stains on the ground.

In the case of the other victim Dube, police said his elder brother Mr Thokozani Dube found him lying on the ground in the morning and suspected that he was drunk as he had vomited on the blankets.

Mr Dube reportedly removed the stained blankets and cleaned them, only to discover that his brother had died. — @ncubeleon