The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) has confirmed that two Mutare men have been sentenced to 45 years in prison each for the brutal 2023 murder of Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services officer Tapiwa Mutyasira.
Brighton Gowero (29) and Takunda Makoni (21) were convicted for the murder and robbery of the 29-year-old officer, whose body was discovered dumped on the Mutare-Harare railway line in the Chikanga suburb.
According to the NPAZ news bulletin dated October 9, 2025, the court heard that the crime was committed between March 3 and 4, 2023.
The two offenders, acting in concert with an accomplice who is only identified as “Courage” and remains at large, brutally assaulted Mutyasira with unknown objects, inflicting fatal injuries.
Following the assault, the perpetrators stole the prison officer’s two cellphones. In a calculated attempt to conceal the murder, which was committed during the course of the robbery, they then moved his body and left it on the railway tracks.
The grisly discovery was made after the deceased’s remains were run over by a goods train. The train driver reportedly initially mistook the body for discarded material on the line.
A subsequent post-mortem examination conducted at Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital confirmed the violent nature of the crime. The report concluded that Tapiwa Mutyasira died from polytrauma—multiple severe injuries consistent with a violent assault.
In its statement, the NPAZ used the sentencing to issue a stern public reminder, urging “members of the public to respect the sanctity of life and to resolve disputes without resorting to violence.”
The authority emphasized the societal duty to “uphold the dignity and value of every human being.”
The search for the third suspect, Courage, continues.
