The driver of a kombi who is accused of kidnapping 25 pupils from David Livingstone Primary School in Harare on 20 January this year has died.
The publication has learnt that Samuel Honde, who was out of custody on bail, died on Friday morning (today) after he suffered a stroke several weeks ago.
It is believed he experienced a mental lapse which resulted in him driving the minibus to Macheke, Mashonaland East, instead of Kuwadzana in Harare.
Following Honde’s arrest in January, Harare magistrate Letwin Rwodzi ordered a mental examination to be conducted on him. She directed the State to proceed in terms of Section 26 of the Mental Health Act.
According to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), Honde was contracted by various parents, since 2016, to ferry learners to and from David Livingstone Primary School to their homes in greater Harare.
He was residing at a Seventh-Day Adventist church in Kuwadzana, Harare.
On the day the alleged kidnapping occurred, Honde, after picking up the 25 learners (14 girls and 11 boys) at the school, drove towards Macheke instead of driving the learners to their respective homes in Kuwadzana and surrounding areas.
The vehicle was spotted by other motorists who reported to the police after seeing the minors crying in a stationary Nissan Caravan on the busy highway. The vehicle had stopped after running out of fuel.
Honde was then arrested for kidnapping and taken to Macheke Police Station.
The children were reunited with their parents after they were referred to Marondera Provincial Hospital for medical examination.
Honde suffered a stroke whilst he was still on remand, and was undergoing tests various medical tests.
Unfortunately, he did not recover from the stroke and died this morning at Harare Hospital.
