Police said Thandolwenkosi Ndlovu would target street children who had fallen fast asleep, crush their skulls, cut them open and remove their genitals using broken bottles, and then cook their flesh on an open flame before consuming it.
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
HE killed children living on the streets of various towns in Zimbabwe, brutalising their bodies using broken glass bottles, cutting off their genitalia and removing their intestines.
He would then cook their flesh – either by boiling or braaiing it – before consuming it.
Twenty-year-old Thandolwenkosi Ndlovu was arrested by Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), and indicated before a Harare magistrate that he would plead guilty to all the charges levelled against him.
H-Metro, a State-owned publication reported that Ndlovu would target homeless people in various areas of Zimbabwe.
Ndlovu, who is believed to have been living on the streets, would allegedly target street children who had fallen fast asleep, crush their skulls, cut them open and remove their genitals using broken bottles.
Ndlovu, also known as Sauro, would cook the flesh before eating it, according to a statement issued by the ZRP on Tuesday.
ZRP national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said Ndlovu is linked to at least five cases of murder.
“The suspect who is believed to be living in the streets would target ‘street kids’ who (would) be fast asleep and crush them and open the victims’ stomach and remove genitals and other body parts using empty broken bottles,” Nyathi said.
“The suspect would then boil or braai the human parts on any open fire place and consume them while in the Harare central business district.”
On Monday, police detectives tracked Ndlovu along the Ritten Row Road in Harare after he allegedly tried to attack another child.
On being arrested, Nyathi said Ndlovu was positively linked to five murder cases which occurred at different spots, including Nelson Mandela Avenue in Harare.
Ndlovu is also linked to three other cases which happened in the city of Bulawayo in 2020, “where he crushed a victim’s head in Bellevue Suburb using a brick after he found him drunk and asleep in a yard” in January 2020.
“In December 2020, he crushed a victim’s head in Makokoba Suburb after finding him asleep on the roadside. He again crushed another victim’s head using stones at Sekhusile shopping centre in Nkulumane after finding him sleeping in a pavement. He then fled to Harare,” according to Nyathi.
Additionally, Ndlovu is also facing a charge of attempted murder and has a warrant of arrest for a robbery case which occurred in the Milton Park area of Harare in June 2021.
Nyathi said no evidence has been found linking the murders to ritual killings.
“The police assures the public that enquiries are still being conducted to find out the real motive behind the suspect’s conduct and if he acted alone or not. More details will be revealed soon,” said Nyathi.
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