Johnson Progress

A 32-year-old woman from Mashonaland Central province has been arrested on suspicion of murdering her newborn daughter and secretly burying the infant in a shallow grave close to her home, in a case that has shocked the local community.

Thandiwe Kangara is currently in police custody facing a charge of infanticide following the discovery of the baby’s body.

The incident allegedly occurred on March 4, 2026, at Chihwe Village 2 Farm in Mvurwi.

Providing details of the arrest, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) national spokesperson, Commissioner Paul Nyathi, confirmed that investigations are underway.

He stated that the suspect is alleged to have committed the act alone.

According to police reports, Kangara is accused of giving birth to the baby girl in seclusion.

It is alleged that she then used her hands to strangle the newborn immediately after the birth.

Following the alleged killing, the woman reportedly buried the body of the infant in a shallow grave located approximately ten metres from her residence, in an attempt to conceal the event.

Commissioner Nyathi elaborated on the sequence of events as uncovered by the police.

“The woman allegedly strangled the newborn with her hands and buried the body in a shallow grave about 10 metres from her home,” he said.

The crime only came to light due to the sharp observation of a child from the village.

The young witness noticed a significant change in Kangara’s physical appearance.

The child, who was returning from school, observed that the woman was no longer showing signs of pregnancy, a condition that had been apparent just days before.

Alarmed by this sudden disappearance of the pregnancy bump, the child took the information to a relative.

This relative then initiated inquiries, which eventually led to the matter being reported to the authorities.

The case was officially reported to the ZRP’s Vivelkia Post on March 5, 2026.

Acting on this report, the police swiftly moved to investigate, leading to the immediate arrest of Thandiwe Kangara.

Following the arrest, investigators went to the location pointed out by the suspect.

A team from the police details unit carefully exhumed the body of the infant from the shallow grave.

Commissioner Nyathi confirmed the recovery of the remains.

“Authorities later exhumed the infant’s body, which was transported to Guruve Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem examination,” the national police spokesperson confirmed.

The post-mortem is expected to determine the exact cause of death and will form a crucial part of the evidence in the case.

Kangara is expected to appear in court soon, where she will formally answer to the charge of infanticide.

The incident has cast a pall over the small farming community in Mvurwi, where residents are struggling to comprehend the allegations against their neighbour.