HARARE – The family of a man allegedly beaten to death by State House security officers has demanded a review into his death after highlighting attempts to cover up his murder.
Levy Musendo, 34, had a long-standing mental illness, according to his father.
Musendo left home in Mufakose on August 19 and did not return. The following morning, his family was contacted by a police officer who would not identify himself, stating that he had been arrested and was at Harare Central Police Station.
His parents, who have engaged lawyers, were at the police station by 9AM on August 20 but were “shuffled from pillar to post”, their lawyers Kadzere, Hungwe and Mandevere say in a letter to the police demanding a “detailed post-mortem.”
After spending the greater part of the day at the police station, the lawyers say, Musendo’s parents were advised that he had been taken to Parirenyatwa Hospital “with severe injuries and was bleeding profusely from the nose and mouth.”
When they enquired into the cause of the injuries, they were allegedly told that he had been injured “whilst attempting to break into State House at No 1 Chancellor Avenue.”
The lawyers say Musendo’s parents were eventually told, at around 4PM, that he had died at Parirenyatwa.
When they arrived at the hospital, staff told them that soldiers brought him when he was already dead. Military police officers in uniform allegedly told staff that no-one was to conduct body viewing either.
“The circumstances outlined above make for sad reading. They reveal a deliberate attempt by state agents to cover up the truth as to what exactly transpired and led to the death of Levy Musendo,” the lawyers said in a letter to the Officer Commanding CID Homicide.
“In fact, the deception goes deeper than narrated… you will note that in the narration given above, I mention that Mr Job Musendo was advised by the Dispol Harare Central District of the demise of his son at around 4PM on Saturday, August 20, 2022. However… from the certification of death section filled in and completed by one Dr Maketa, one observes that… the time of death has been altered from 4.42PM to 9.42PM using a blank ink pen. Who made this alteration, and to what ends?
“How could the time of death be coming after the announcement of the death? What should come first, death or announcement? What was the motive of the person who made that entry on the ZRP Form 231 in misstating the time of death? What were they trying to cover up?”
The lawyers also said there were attempts to alter the time of death with a pen on a carbon copy issued by the doctor.
“As if the above deceptions were not enough, the now deceased’s body was accompanied to Parirenyatwa Hospital by a ZRP Form 234 – Request for Medical Report as if at the time of his conveyance to the hospital he was still alive,” the lawyers say.
The lawyers said Levy was referred to as an accused person but there was no case number or any record of arrest. Levy was also never admitted at the hospital. An examination of the hospital database revealed that the last time Levy was attended to as a patient was on June 30, 2022.
The family is demanding a detailed post-mortem report detailing in full the findings of the pathologists who carried out the post-mortem, access to the full body with a photographer who would take pictures, and CCTV footage of the incident at State House.
The family is also demanding an investigation into officers who were on duty on the fateful day to review how they handled the matter, as well as an investigation into attempts to cook documents.
The family maintains that Levy will not be buried until justice is served.
In a statement on Thursday, national police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said “a report has been received in connection with the death of Levy Musendo on August 20, 2022, in Harare. The ZRP is now investigating the unfortunate incident.”
