Twenty-year-old Pfananani Goma appeared in the Mutale Magistrate's Court on Monday morning (16 January). He stands accused of killing his 17-year-old girlfriend, Zwivhuya Miriri, in his room at Folovhodwe village in the Mutale area during a fight on the night of 20 November 2022.
On Monday, the late Miriri's elder sister, Miss Zelda Miriri, complained that the police had not disclosed the true details of the crime scene after Goma had reported her "unresponsive" the next day. "He beat my younger sister to death with an electrical cable. When I arrived at the scene, I found an electrical cable next to the bed. She had open wounds all over her body. How can you fight back when you are being assaulted with an electrical cable?" she said.
After the court proceedings, more than 10 family members clad in black attire to show their respect for the deceased protested outside the courthouse, insisting that the investigating officer in the case be replaced. According to Zelda, the current investigating officer only keeps the family of the suspect informed about the case, while they – the victim's family - are kept in the dark. "He did not even tell us that the suspect is appearing in court today. Only his parents were notified. I phoned and confronted him about it, and his response was not convincing at all. That's why we are here," she said.
The family have also asked their ward councillor to intervene in the case.
Magistrate Nnzudzeni Rammbuda postponed the case to 1 March for a formal bail application and said the suspect would remain in custody.