Three children from Kuwadzana Extension, who went missing on October 1, have been found dead in the boot of a parked car.
The children, two siblings Anenyasha Muzanangu (1) and Anopaishe Muzangu (4), along with their neighbour, Raymond Mukudzeyi (3), were playing together on the day they disappeared.
Following their disappearance, residents launched a frantic manhunt and shared the children’s pictures across various social media platforms, including WhatsApp.
Reports indicate that the trio was playing near the car park, which is close to their houses and there were fears that they had been kidnapped.
The search continued without success until an alert resident detected a stinking odour emanating from a parked car.
She alerted other residents, who forcibly opened the boot and discovered the bodies inside.
The parents of the deceased were inconsolable as the bodies were retrieved from the car boot, with the children lying on top of one another.
Reports suggest they may have died from suffocation, while some still believe the children were kidnapped and later dumped in the boot.
However, Bynet Bunu, who managed the car park, stated that the residents did not search the car as widely circulated on social media, instead, they only searched inside parked cars and areas around.
“The father of the two deceased children called me to say they were missing. We then initiated a search, looking around the cars and in nearby churches.
“We didn’t hear any sounds or complaints at that time,” he said.
Bunu added that the car had been parked in the area for three years. “We checked all the cars with flashlights.
While we were searching, I heard people saying they had seen the bodies. This is the first car park in this area.
The children were playing with someone, and he said they moved away from him, leading to their disappearance.
“The boot could have remained closed tightly,” he said
Another resident, Mrs. Musungwe, expressed her feelings of despair, saying they initially believed the children had been kidnapped.
“This is a tragic incident, and we are praying for strength. Whether this was an act of malice or simply an accident, we leave everything to God.
“Initially, people claimed they searched the boot, which still surprises us.”
Another resident Mai Chinyan’anya described the incident as bizarre.
“We searched for these children since the day they went missing, yet we found them just a few meters from their homes.
“Whether they entered the boot on their own or were placed there, we may never know,” she said.
Some residents suspect foul play despite the lack of concrete leads.
“If anyone is behind this incident, the law must take its course.
“We suspect foul play, but experts will determine the actual cause of death for these innocent children,” stated Jona Chikonanyika.
This incident follows a previous case from last year when four children were found dead after being left in a locked car in Southlea Park, having succumbed to suffocation.
The lifeless bodies were discovered in the non-functional vehicle after they went in and closed the door.
The victims suffocated while in the vehicle.
