Police have been involved in a desperate search for Sydney Simemene, 33, who disappeared in February, after he murdered a fellow Zimbabwean – Khumbulani Dube and her three-month-old baby.
Simemene is originally from Binga, Matabeleland North, while Dube came from the Chief Gampu area in Plumtree, where she and her daughter were buried after the fatal attack.
In what looked like a robbery-inspired attack, Simemene fatally stabbed the two on February 1, 2010 and squashed their bodies with a bed, after which he stole Dubes groceries and an undisclosed amount of money.
Simemene, whom South African police say is already wanted for another 2008 fatal knife attack on his former friend whom he owed money, is strongly believed to have fled to Zimbabwe.
This week, a Gauteng provincial police spokesman told The Zimbabwean that their search for Simemene had so far proved sterile, as all the leads they had have grown cold.
It is always very difficult to account for murderers who come from other countries because most of the time they use false names when living here, said Superintendent Lungelo Dlamini late last week.
We have not stopped looking for him and will not stop until he is arrested, but for now we are not chasing any leads. I would like to appeal to members of the public, especially those who know him, to come forward and assist because, as he has already proved twice, he is a very dangerous man who turns against even those that are close to him.
The police, who confirm that they were given information that the suspect could have fled to his home country, added that they would continue searching for him in South Africa.
It will be very difficult for us to follow him in Zimbabwe because he might be using a false name here and that pursuit might turn out to be a waste of resources. Even when he committed the previous murder, it was believed that he had gone to Zimbabwe, but the next thing we heard was that he had killed another person here in the same suburb of Hillbrow.
Dubes family members told The Zimbabwean that they are still hopeful of Simemenes arrest, adding that this would give them closure and answer their questions as to why he did that.
Post published in: News