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.