Johnson Progress

Nomsa Sibanda, the mother of four-year-old Princess Shoko, is still unable to bury her daughter’s remains due to unresolved DNA identification issues, two years after the child’s alleged murder.

Princess was allegedly killed by her aunt, Alista Sibanda, and uncle, John Zvivi. The two dumped her body in a stream along the Harare-Bulawayo Road.

The suspects fled to South Africa after the incident but were extradited to Zimbabwe earlier this year.

Alista has since been convicted and sentenced to 24 months in prison for physical abuse under the Children’s Act, while John is set to face trial for Princess’ murder.

Nomsa has requested police intervention to facilitate a second DNA test and issue a burial order, claiming she positively identified her daughter’s body when it was discovered in August 2023.

Despite paying in full for the DNA test, Nomsa says she has not received official results, sparking concerns about administrative oversights or technical errors.

DNA results circulating on social media reportedly show a mismatch between Nomsa and the body, suggesting it could be an unidentified male child.

However, Nomsa disputes this, believing it may be a case of mistaken identity or misfiled records.

Her lawyers, Hamunakwadi and Nyandoro Law Chambers, are urging authorities to resolve the matter within seven days, citing the need for transparency and compassion.

“We believe the anomaly could be a genuine human error or administrative mistake that can be easily corrected by our client taking another DNA test,” they said.

The prolonged delay has left Nomsa desperate to lay her daughter to rest and find peace after two years of waiting.

Princess’ body remains at the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals mortuary in Harare, with no burial date in sight.