The family of Ignatius Matshotsho Moyo, a war veteran from Brunapeg in Mangwe District, Matabeleland South, who went missing in September last year after a trip to Bulawayo, suspects that human bones recently found in Chief Tshitshiโs area could be his remains.
However, confusion and contradictions surrounding the handling of the discovered bones have raised more questions than answers.
Moyo disappeared on September 11, 2024, after travelling to Bulawayo with his wife to collect remittances from Doves Funeral Services for his late mother, who had passed away in August.
During the trip, Moyo decided to return home alone while his wife remained in the city to finalise funeral policy matters.
He boarded a private vehicle heading towards Plumtree but disembarked near Figtree, claiming he had forgotten something in Bulawayo.
That was the last time he was seen.
In an interview with CITE, his uncle, Milton Fabion Moyo, who lives in Brunapeg under Chief Sangulube, recounted the events leading up to his nephewโs disappearance.
โThe missing person is Ignatius Matshotsho Moyo. Heโs my nephew, and heโs a war veteran. He was born in 1951,โ Moyo said.
He further explained that in January, he received a call from a police officer stationed at Brunapeg Police Base, informing him that officers in Tshitshi had reported finding human remains in the area.
โWe were waiting for other family members to arrive before traveling to Chief Tshitshiโs area to examine the remains,โ he said.
โSince it was late, I decided we would travel the next day. The following morning, I went to our chiefโs homeโChief Sangulubeโto request transport. I provided fuel worth R650, and Chief Sangulube accompanied me to Chief Tshitshiโs area to inquire about the remains.โ
However, the family was later informed that the remains had already been buried on January 25, 2025, raising concerns about how such a burial was conducted without verifying the identity of the deceased.
โI questioned how they could bury the remains without knowing whose they were. There seemed to be tension when I asked why the bones were buried without a burial order and how they could proceed with a burial for an unknown person,โ Moyo added.
Meanwhile, the circumstances surrounding Ignatius Moyoโs disappearance remain unclear.
His uncle stated that after he was dropped off near Figtree, he was reportedly seen in Tshitshi asking for directions to their home.
โA local boy who spoke to him said he didnโt know and directed him to ask other people in the area. I donโt know what happened after that or where he went,โ Moyo said.
โWhen I was in Marula, I gathered information that he had spoken to a former police officer and was arranging transport to Plumtree. We searched for him there but couldnโt find him.โ
Following his disappearance, the family launched an extensive search, distributing missing person posters throughout the district.
โWe put up missing person posters everywhere, but what surprised us was that people in Tshitshi found human remains and had them buried,โ Moyo said.
Despite police assurances that due process is being followed, the Moyo family remains anxious and is demanding transparency in how the remains are handled.
โIf the remains were buried, who authorised it?โ Moyo questioned.
However, Matabeleland South Acting Police Spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Stanford Mguni, refuted claims that the bones had been buried, stating that they had been secured for safekeeping while investigations were ongoing.
โWe are aware of the matter. The scene is being attended to, and procedures are being followed. We are working with officers in Mphoengs,โ he said.
Mguni confirmed that a missing person case had been reported but could not confirm the identity of the remains.
โThere is a missing person who was traveling from one village to another. One village falls under one police station, while another falls under a different one in Chief Tshitshiโs area,โ he said.
โFor now, I donโt have details on who is missing, as the case is still under investigation, but we do have a case involving human remains that were found. Iโm not saying the area is under Chief Tshitshi, but the missing person was last seen traveling through his jurisdiction en route to Mphoengs.โ
Mguni said that the police were following proper procedures to ensure the remains were not lost or tampered with.
โThere are suspicions that the human remains may belong to the missing person. The police are on the ground, documenting everything and securing the remains for DNA analysis,โ he said, adding that he could not yet confirm the exact location where the remains were found.
The Assistant Inspector also noted that after the investigations, the missing personโs family would be required to provide DNA samples for identification.
โWe are handling this scientifically, prioritizing the interests of both the community and the missing personโs family. The DNA tests may reveal that the remains do not belong to the missing person, leading to different findings,โ Mguni stated.
He also dismissed claims that the remains had been buried.
โThe bones were not buried; they were found in the open and secured to prevent them from being destroyed by animals or scavenged by dogs,โ Mguni said.
