Form 6 student and Prophet’s son found hanging from a tree, neighbours suspect foul play, father says it’s complicated (VIDEO)

Form 6 student and prophet’s son found hanging from a tree as family seeks answers

The decomposing body of a Form Six student who had been missing for eight months was found hanging from a tree near a hill in Madziva on Sunday, leaving relatives demanding forensic tests and villagers questioning what happened to him.

Benjamin Vambe, believed to be the son of self-styled prophet Tineyi Vambe, was last seen in December last year. His disappearance remained unresolved for months before his remains were discovered in an area used by villagers collecting firewood.

The condition of the body made identification difficult, but villagers said Benjamin’s clothes had been kept in his satchel. The belongings helped investigators and members of the community establish who had been found.

The discovery has raised questions about how the body remained undiscovered for so long. Neighbours said people had visited the area several times while gathering firewood, yet no one noticed the decomposing remains until Sunday.

One villager said the circumstances had deepened fears that Benjamin may have been harmed before his death.

“We are strongly suspecting foul play considering that Benjamin had been a victim of physical abuse,” said one of the villagers.

The concerns have also brought renewed focus to the events surrounding Benjamin’s disappearance and the information available to his family during the eight months he was missing.

Family members said tensions had emerged between them and Tineyi over the circumstances of the case. They said they had recently been together with him at a tombstone unveiling ceremony, but he did not tell them that Benjamin was missing.

A relative said the family wanted scientific examination of the remains to establish what had happened.

“We are appealing for some forensic tests to ascertain what exactly happened,” one of the family members said.

The family’s call came as the discovery of Benjamin’s body opened a painful chapter after months of uncertainty. For relatives, the search had ended, but the central questions surrounding the student’s disappearance and death remained.

When contacted for comment, Tineyi said the matter was complicated and could not be discussed over the phone. He indicated that he wanted to speak in person rather than address the circumstances in a telephone conversation.

“There is more to this issue that we cannot talk about over the phone. If you may come here so that we can discuss face-to-face,” Vambe said.

He added that Benjamin was buried in Madziva on Tuesday.

The case has drawn attention not only because of the length of time Benjamin was missing, but also because it comes amid continuing concern over deaths involving young people in Zimbabwe. Families, schools, churches and community leaders have increasingly been called upon to respond to signs of distress among children and teenagers, including withdrawal, falling school performance, strained relationships and sudden changes in behaviour.

In many homes, such changes are first treated as ordinary teenage mood swings. The warning signs can be quiet: a young person may stop spending time with friends, lose interest in activities, become less communicative or appear unable to cope with pressure. By the time relatives recognise the seriousness of the change, the child may already be facing a crisis that has been hidden from those around them.

A separate case in Mashonaland West highlighted the concern over the deaths of minors. On December 29, 2024, 9-year-old Malvern Runyararo of Denhere village, under Chief Chivero, was found hanging from a tree after a member of the village discovered him the following morning. Police said the body was taken to Norton District Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem examination, while investigations continued.

Inspector Ian Kohwera, the provincial police spokesperson, said authorities were worried about the number of minors taking their own lives. He said some of the reported cases followed incidents in which children had been corrected by parents or guardians, and appealed for young people to receive guidance and counselling.

The Mashonaland West case, like the Madziva discovery, involved a child found outdoors and left a community seeking an explanation. The circumstances are different, but both cases have placed pressure on families and authorities to establish what happened and to ensure that concerns involving children are not overlooked.

The wider figures underline the scale of the concern. A Zimbabwe Republic Police report covering 2015 to 2019 recorded 2,058 men and 505 women who died by suicide. The country has also been reported to lose about 30 teachers and six students to suicide each year, a toll that has kept schools and communities focused on mental health and child protection.

Young people face pressures at home, at school and online. Bullying, family instability, broken relationships, substance abuse, gambling, unwanted pregnancies and cyberbullying have all been identified by community and religious leaders as problems affecting children and teenagers. Economic hardship can add to pressure inside households, while stigma often makes it harder for people to speak openly about depression, abuse, fear or hopelessness.

For the Vambe family, however, the immediate issue is the unanswered chain of events that began with Benjamin’s disappearance in December and ended with the discovery of his remains near the Madziva hill. His satchel and clothes helped identify him, but they did not explain how he reached the tree, why no one found him earlier or what took place during the months he was missing.

Those questions now sit at the centre of the family’s demand for forensic testing. Villagers are also waiting for clarity as they process the discovery of a body in a place they had repeatedly visited. Benjamin’s burial has brought the formal farewell, but the search for answers continues.