Authorities have arrested a nurse following the mysterious disappearance of an eight-month-old infant’s body from the mortuary at Chitungwiza Central Hospital—a case that has triggered public outrage and a full police investigation.
The suspect, 32-year-old Munashe Ganyiwa, was part of the hospital’s nursing staff and had been attending to baby Emmanuel Charindapanze, who had been admitted to the pediatric ward on Saturday. According to reports, Emmanuel suffered sudden medical complications in the early hours of Sunday. His mother, 46-year-old Shamiso Nyause, alerted staff, and Nurse Ganyiwa responded before officially pronouncing the infant dead.
Hospital protocols were reportedly observed, with Ganyiwa removing the child’s clothing and returning it to the mother. Another hospital staff member was then assigned to transfer the body to the hospital mortuary.
However, when the family returned on Monday to collect the remains for burial, mortuary staff were unable to locate the infant’s body. After a thorough search of all pediatric remains at the facility, Emmanuel’s body was still missing. When confronted, Nurse Ganyiwa reportedly suggested that the body might have been mistakenly cremated—an unconfirmed claim that only heightened the family’s distress.
Harare provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luckmore Chakanza, confirmed the arrest. “We have detained a healthcare worker in Chitungwiza in connection with possible violations involving the handling of human remains,” he stated. “The investigation was launched after the family could not find their child’s body, despite having followed standard hospital procedures.”
The case remains under active investigation as both the grieving family and the broader medical community demand answers in what has become a deeply unsettling situation.
