More than 2 years: Baby Princess yet to be buried

…When will there be closure to this case?

…Body still in mortuary

…Body now mutilating

It has now been over two years since Princess Shoko was killed, and she has yet to be buried.

The suspects, John Zvivi (36) and Alister Sibanda (35), are currently in custody.

This couple is alleged to be the chief suspects in the murder of the little girl.

DNA tests conducted during the investigation revealed negative results, indicating that the child was a boy, not a girl.

The couple is accused of killing their four-year-old niece in 2023 before fleeing to South Africa.

John and Alister were brought back into the country on March 27, 2025, after their story circulated on social media, which prompted their arrest and eventual extradition.

They appeared in court on Saturday, March 30, before Harare magistrate Isheunesu Matova, who remanded them in custody and advised them to approach the High Court for bail.

The couple returned to court on April 11, pending their indictment.

The tragic events date back to April 2023, when the deceased, Princess Shoko, and her six-year-old sister, Susan Mandaza, were left in the care of Sibanda and her husband in Zvimba.

The children’s mother, Nomsa Sibanda, is the sister of Lister. When Nomsa returned to South Africa, she left the children in the care of Zvivi and her sister, Lister.

Upon their appearance in court on March 30, Prosecutor Takudzwa Jambawu informed the court that the couple began to abuse the two children, subjecting them to assaults and depriving them of food.

In July 2023, the abuse took a deadly turn when Princess Shoko succumbed to injuries inflicted upon her, passing away on July 23, 2023.

In a bid to conceal their crime, Zvivi and Sibanda allegedly placed the child’s remains in a sack and stashed it in the boot of a red Honda Fit with Botswana number plates.

The couple then drove to Kuwadzana Extension, where they dumped the body in a stream.

The court heard how the accused informed Nomsa Sibanda of her daughter’s death but failed to provide a satisfactory explanation.

Troubled by their vague account, Nomsa returned to Zimbabwe and, on August 1, 2023, reported her daughter as missing to the ZRP Dzivarasekwa.

The very next day, the body of Princess Shoko was discovered in the Dzivarasekwa stream.

Nomsa identified the remains of her daughter, and the body was taken to Parirenyatwa Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

While a pathologist conducted the examination, the cause of death was inconclusive as toxicology results were still pending.

Fearing arrest, the couple fled to South Africa. However, their alleged crime came to light after the story gained widespread attention on social media.

Authorities in South Africa apprehended the couple, and after months of legal proceedings, they were extradited to Zimbabwe to face justice.