3 men in court over charges of murder at Glen View...

3 men in court over charges of murder at Glen View 7 school

Michael Mashiri

Zim Now Court Correspondent

Three men accused of brutally assaulting a man and leaving him for dead at Glen View 7 Council Primary School in Harare have appeared before the Harare Magistrates' Court.

Raphael Garikai, 43, Antony Nyamweya, 33, and Kudakwashe Rukanda, 34, face murder charges and are scheduled to appear in court again on February 10, 2025.

According to the State, the incident occurred on July 4, 2024, at around 1:00 AM. Luke Taulo, a security guard at the school, discovered the victim, Tinashe Tarutira, in critical condition on the premises. Tarutira, who was half-naked and covered in used oil, was unable to speak due to the severity of his injuries.

Taulo immediately reported the matter to the school management, who notified the police at ZRP Glenorah. Tarutira was taken to Sally Mugabe Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries the following day, on July 5, 2024.

A post-mortem conducted on July 12, 2024, revealed that the cause of death was severe brain edema and a severe head injury.

On January 2, 2025, detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department arrested Garikai at his residence after receiving information linking him to the crime. During questioning, Garikai admitted to assaulting the victim with a baton stick, which was later recovered.

He implicated Nyamweya and Rukanda in the assault. Nyamweya was arrested the same day and confessed to pouring used oil on the victim while Garikai and others assaulted him. However, Nyamweya claimed he could not recognise all of the attackers due to the darkness.

Rukanda was apprehended on January 3, 2025. He also admitted to participating in the assault, stating that he had struck the victim with a mango tree branch.

The three suspects remain in custody, and the case continues as investigations unfold.