Family fumes as slain detective Cassandra Hove buried in Mberengwa

By Staff Reporter

A relative of slain Bulawayo police detective Cassandra Hove fumed at her funeral in Mataruse, Mberengwa on Monday accusing police of protecting their officers the family suspects of a calculated execution on the mother of four.

Hove, who was aged 37, died on Thursday last week with initial reports claiming she was shot by an armed robber whom they were pursuing in the city’s Pumula suburb.

But the claims were contradicted by that the bullet that took her life was in fact shot from a police rifle, raising suspicions of either negligence or a calculated execution by colleagues in the all-female Criminal Investigations Department’s Lozikeyi Homicide Unit.

Speaking at Hove’s burial, Tinashe Mago, claimed police were covering up crucial information about her death.

“This officer must be locked in,” Mago fumed of a police detective suspected to have discharged the fatal bullet, adding that “it is not fair for you police officers” to cover up for each other in the wake of the incident.

Mago added, “That robber was not armed. He is someone who was pinned to the ground. You are trained you guys. Zimbabwean police are known as a highly competent force in Africa for handling firearms.

“This was not a mistake. This was intentional…there was an intent to kill. If ever they were four or five (police officers), lock them in, they will tell you the truth.

“This is not a decent burial of a police officer … it is not even worth it.”

He said the police officer who discharged the rifle that took Hove’s life should at least be there at the funeral to show remorse for the fatal mishap.

The burial was attended by representatives from the police command and several of the late police officer’s work colleagues.