A sad moment gripped the Senate as Senator Lwazi Sibanda mourned the tragic death of her cousin, Hillary Nleya, a military intelligence officer whose mysterious death has raised questions of foul play.
Nleya, reported missing last month, was last seen at Redwood along the Plumtree-Bulawayo road.
Initially deemed a suicide after his body was found hanging from a tree in Figtree, Matabeleland South, the narrative shifted as sources revealed Nleya’s ties to the military, prompting speculation about his demise.
Speaking during a parliamentary debate on the Death Penalty Abolition Bill, Senator Sibanda expressed profound grief over her cousin’s death, which she described as a murder by an unknown assailant.
“I rise with a heavy heart,” Senator Sibanda said. “I am a woman, a mother, and a Senator of this country, yet I stand here with a cousin lying in the mortuary—Hilary Nleya—whom we searched for over two weeks, only to find him dead in Figtree. He was murdered by a person we do not yet know.”
The Senator revealed that her duty in Parliament was tempered by the sorrow of planning her cousin’s burial in Dombodema, Plumtree, on Saturday.
The Senator expressed her grief, stating that while she was fulfilling her duties in Parliament, she would soon return to bury her cousin.
“I am here to serve my time in the Senate for the next two days, and in three days’ time, I will go and bury him.”
She also highlighted the growing wave of violence in the country, lamenting that people—including relatives, parents, and children—are being murdered by unknown assailants.
“Two days ago, we read in the media about a horrific incident. Someone went and tied the door of a hut, with people sleeping inside, and set it on fire. These are the same people we are expected to forgive as a nation.”
She expressed her discomfort with the idea of abolishing the death penalty, pointing out that some murderers show no remorse for their actions.
“I am a law-abiding citizen of this country. I am grateful that we have a President who was spared from the death penalty. I am a citizen who respects the law, and I am committed to the abolition of the death penalty.
“We remember Geneva Sibanda, who was murdered by his gardener and wife. We remember many of our friends, colleagues—even among us—who have been murdered by people roaming the streets. Some are known, some are unknown; some are in prison and brag about killing those they have killed. It is painful in our hearts to say that sentencing these people to death does not serve our country. Killing them like animals does not matter to us.”
She continued, “People will die. People will be killed by those we show remorse to, who don’t even show any remorse to us.”
“It is so painful that I stand here defending people who will go out and kill their grandparents, or their mothers, simply because there was no food to cook for dinner. They will kill them just because their mother failed to provide food for them. It is painful to spare a murderer who shows no remorse, like someone who kills a helpless young woman walking home after work just to steal her bag.”
“When they realse they’ve been seen, they kill her to prevent identification. They don’t care about tomorrow—they put a knife in her heart to save themselves. There is so much pain caused by these murderers that we are still defending as a country. We will keep them in prison for years, just to protect them from death, while they show no care for this nation. I have so much more to say about the abolition of the death penalty,” said Senator Sibanda.
Efforts to obtain a comment from the Zimbabwe National Army were unsuccessful, as the acting army spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Mungofa, had not responded to inquiries by the time the story was published.
Matabeleland South police said they had not received the report.
