HARARE-(MaraviPost)-Four schoolgirls drowned in central Zimbabwe after being confronted by a group of youths who accused them of fishing illegally with a mosquito net, in an incident that has sparked a police investigation into suspected culpable homicide.
Police said the victims – Letty Sedrick, 14, Tadiwa Phiri, 15, Faith Woda, 13, and Mercy Tembo, 14 – were fishing at Petra Dam on Petra Farm near the mining town of Chegutu, about 100 kilometres southwest of the capital Harare, on the night of 18 October.
According to a statement from the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the girls, all in primary school, were using a mosquito net to fish when they were approached by seven individuals who accused them of illegal fishing.
Two boys who were with the group managed to escape, police said. One was allegedly assaulted with a switch and open hands before fleeing and swimming across the dam, followed by the second boy.
The four girls were left behind in the water and are believed to have attempted to swim across but failed to make it to the other side.
Their bodies were recovered the following day, on 19 October.
Police said two suspects, aged 16 and 19, have been arrested and are assisting with investigations, while five others remain at large.
In a statement dated 20 October, police warned parents to monitor their children’s movements, particularly at night, and advised children against visiting dams and rivers after dark – a common hazard in rural Zimbabwe where open water bodies are used for fishing, bathing and domestic water.
Authorities also cautioned against vigilante action, urging communities to report suspected illegal activity to law enforcement rather than taking the law into their own hands.
The statement was issued by Commissioner P. Nyathi, spokesperson for the Commissioner-General of Police.
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