A FUEL dealer was tortured and murdered by a seven-member gang in Karoi.
It was a brutal attack, with the body of the dealer, George Takaruva, being soaked in oil and dumped at the gate of his house.
Acting provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Aggary Jaure, told H-Metro that Taruvinga, 49, of Chiedza, in Karoi, was a fuel dealer.
He used to buy fuel from cross-border trucks at the 185 km peg along the Harare-Chirundu highway. Asst Insp Jaure said that on May 4, at around 5 pm, a Toyota Fun Cargo, with seven occupants, parked at Taruvinga’s home.
One of the gang members knocked at the door and Taruvinga’s wife, Simangaliso Tshuma, 33, came out of the house.
Asst Insp Jaure said Tshuma was ordered to bring some clean clothes for her husband, who was inside the vehicle, so that he could change.
Tshuma asked the gang what had happened to her husband and was told that he had been found stealing diesel in the Lakeview low density suburb of Karoi.
“The deceased’s wife in the company of Anthia Josiah, who is also a tenant at the same house, and they brought a pair of trousers, shirt and jacket to the vehicle.
“She saw her husband seated on the back seat, facing downwards, and his clothes were oiled as well as the feet of the gang.
“The accused persons instructed her wife to follow them to the police station and they drove off.”
She said at 1 pm, the gang brought back Taruvinga, dumped him and drove off at high speed.
“He struggled to stand up and was assisted by his wife to get into the house.
“He began to vomit some blood and told his wife that he had been assaulted by the accused persons at Lakeview suburbs, who were alleging that he had stolen diesel from their residence,” said Jaure.
She said her wife insisted on taking him to hospital but he refused.
Asst Insp Jaure said Taruvinga died around 9pm and the case was reported to the police.
“The police observed that the now deceased’s body was lying on the floor, facing upwards covered with a blue blanket.
“A cloth was covering his mouth which had blood oozing. The back and forehead were swollen.”
The gang is still at large. – Credit : H METRO
