The Vuwani magistrate’s court nearly turned into a protest field last Wednesday, when three suspects appeared in connection with the suspected ritual murder of Joyce Nyadzani Muedi (44) of Hamutsha-Khwekhwe.

Azwihangwisi Mudau (22) of Hamutsha-Codesa, Thomas Mdlayi (65) of Tshino-Hamangilasi and Nyamukamadi Miriri (65) of Hamutsha-Codesa were charged with murder. Thomas Mdlayi is reportedly a respected clergyman within his community. Many people could not understand how "the man of God" could have been implicated in an incident of this nature.

Their much-publicized case was postponed to May 31 at the same court, pending police investigations, and the suspects will remain in custody as bail was not granted.

Angry community members bayed for the blood of the suspects, but they were calmed down by the police who persuaded them not to take the law into their own hands. One of the suspects has allegedly confirmed to the police that they had removed the intestines of the deceased and handed them over to another suspect. The suspect has also extended in invitation to the family of the deceased to meet him in the police cells so that he can ask for forgiveness.

A staunch member of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC), Joyce Nyadzani Muedi’s badly damaged, naked body was found floating in the Muunga River, near Levubu, two weeks ago. She had two visible gaping wounds to the head and her hands were tied at the back. Her clothes were later found just a few metres from the river. When the body was retrieved, the water poured through the deceased ‘s mouth and found its way through the private parts, raising suspicion that body parts in her stomach might have been removed.

The deceased’s son, Thomas, said it seems there is light at the end of the tunnel, following the arrest of the suspects. "I know that my mother will never come back but I am relieved that the suspects are behind bars. We are only going to wait for the law to take its course. I am convinced that my mother was murdered for muti and I now only put my trust in the hands of the court. If found guilty, the suspects must spend the rest of their lives in jail because they do not belong to this society. Why have they done this to my mother?"