By Dickson Bandera
As Zimbabwe celebrated the 2025 festive season with colour and cheer, Guruve District in Mashonaland Central Province retreated into weeks of darkness — doors locked early, evening chatter silenced, and families bracing for the unknown.
The fear followed a chilling wave of attacks by a suspected serial killer who struck at night, ransacking homes, killing women and children, and vanishing into the darkness. What unfolded shattered the peace of a district known for its quiet resilience and hard-working Korekore community.
December became a torrid and traumatic month for a people unaccustomed to such violence.
Then, on Saturday afternoon, 3 January 2026, relief finally arrived.
Arrest that ended the nightmare
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) confirmed the arrest of Anymore Zvitsva (32), a suspect linked to murder, attempted murder, and rape — effectively ending a season of terror that had plunged Guruve into collective fear.
The arrest followed a coordinated joint operation involving the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Zimbabwe National Army, an operation made possible largely through information and cooperation from members of the public. Horses, Dogs, helicopters and other mechanisms were used in the search as the security sector was determined to being the culprit to book and reinstate the safety and security of citizens.
Zvitsva was apprehended while hiding in a garden and was shot in the left leg during the operation. Police confirmed that he is receiving medical attention at a local hospital, with further details regarding charges and court appearance to be released in due course.
For residents who had lived under siege, the announcement felt like the lifting of a heavy cloud. They gathered in numbers and celebrated as the helicopter airlifted him for further management.
A festive season stolen by fear
By Christmas Day, at least seven people — including children — had reportedly been murdered under mysterious circumstances. The attacks, often carried out at night, shattered the district’s sense of safety.What should have been a period of celebration became one of the darkest chapters in Guruve’s recent history.
Villages that once echoed with evening conversations fell silent. Footpaths between homesteads emptied. By sunset, families bolted their doors and retreated indoors — not by police instruction, but by instinct.
“I no longer sleep alone,” an elderly woman told this publication earlier, her voice trembling. “I now sleep at my neighbour’s house. I cannot be alone at night.”
In some areas, families slept in shifts. Neighbours crowded into single homesteads. Evening chores were abandoned. Businesses closed early, and by 6pm Guruve’s roads were deserted.
“We knock off early and go home,” said one villager. “Not because police told us to — but because we want to stay alive.”
“We have never seen this in recent years. We last saw this during war time when we could retreat into houses out of fear,” said another old lady.
Beyond physical fear, some residents expressed spiritual anxiety, worried that the bloodshed could anger ancestral spirits and affect rainfall in this agriculturally dependent region.
How can rain come when blood is being shed like this? Mhondoro dzemuno dzinotsamwa, said another old man who claimed that the district relied on peace abd tranquility when ot comes to receiving rains.
Rumours, folklore, and the psychology of terror
As searches continued but with no immediate arrests, fear bred speculation. Residents whispered that the attacker might be “one of their own” — someone familiar with the terrain, routines, and vulnerabilities of the community.
Women-headed households were reportedly among the most targeted, deepening anxiety among the most vulnerable. Even children — traditionally protected by the collective vigilance of rural life — were not spared.
Equally disturbing was the absence of theft in the attacks, raising unsettling questions: What was the killer’s motive?
In that vacuum, rumours flourished. Some believed the murders were ritual-related. Others claimed victims were subdued using unknown substances. More fantastical accounts followed — that the suspect could transform into birds or trees, evading capture like a figure from folklore.
Locally, the community referred to him by names rooted in fear and imagination — bhinya, matsangas, mabhemba, mhondi. While unverified, these narratives reflected a deeply traumatised population grasping for meaning amid terror.
The long arm of the law — and the people
In response, police launched a comprehensive security operation. Officers patrolled villages on foot and horseback. Helicopters scanned surrounding areas. The visible presence of uniformed personnel brought fragile reassurance, though fear lingered.
Just after Boxing Day, hope briefly flared when reports circulated that the suspect had been arrested in Makaki. The news later proved false, prolonging the anxious wait.
Until Saturday, 3 January 2026.
The arrest of Zvitsva marked a decisive turning point — not only in the investigation, but also in the relationship between law enforcement and the community.
From the early days of the murders, Zvitsva’s name had surfaced as patterns began to emerge. What ultimately sealed the operation was information provided by ordinary citizens who chose cooperation over silence.
In its official statement, the Zimbabwe Republic Police applauded the Guruve community and all Zimbabweans for the support rendered during the manhunt.
A lesson in unity
The Guruve experience underscores a fundamental truth central to Zimbabwe’s pursuit of peace, law, and order: when communities and police work together, criminals are defeated — and that victory belongs to the people.
Relations between citizens and law enforcement are not always smooth. Tensions arise from misconduct, corruption, poor service delivery, or misunderstandings about the limits and responsibilities of policing.
Yet one reality remains unavoidable: the people need the police, and the police need the people.
When a family wakes up to an empty house after a burglary, the first call is to the police. In Zimbabwe, officers are legally bound to respond, regardless of personal relations. Reports are taken. Investigations begin.
Safety as the foundation of life
Zimbabwe has largely remained a peaceful nation, where hard-core criminals are consistently thwarted. That peace is not accidental — it is built through systems, vigilance, and cooperation.
For the arts, entertainment, and cultural sectors, safety is not peripheral — it is foundational. No festival thrives in fear. No creativity flourishes where people feel unsafe. Communities must feel secure to sing, perform, gather, and celebrate life.
The arrest of the Guruve serial murder suspect — and the decisive role played by ordinary citizens — stands as a powerful reminder of what unity can achieve.
Against criminals, division weakens communities.
Unity protects them.
