False start to trial of white commercial farmer accused of killing boy with combine harvester 4 years ago

THE family of the late 12-year-old Suarance Moffat, who was fatally struck by a combine harvester four years ago, must endure a further delay in their long pursuit of justice.

The murder case against prominent Lion’s Den commercial farmer Daniel Brink Bosman and his worker Douglas Zhanewo was due to begin in Chinhoyi this Monday, October 28, 2026. But the matter was deferred and will now be heard in the next court session in 2027. This publication could not ascertain the reason for the delay.

For the Moffats, it is yet another setback in a case they say has dragged on for far too long.

Suarance was killed in October 2022 while playing in a maize field at Omerstone Farm, Lion’s Den. The family alleges the boy was deliberately chased by a combine harvester before being hit.

According to the State, Bosman and Zhanewo acted in concert to cause Suarance’s death after he was hit by the machine. Bosman has pleaded not guilty.

The postponement comes exactly four years after the tragedy on October 22, 2022, the same month the trial was initially expected to commence. Six days ago, the family marked the fourth anniversary of Suarance’s death.

Court papers indicate Suarance sustained fatal head injuries and a fractured leg. His brother was reportedly among the children in the field and allegedly witnessed his sibling being struck and dragged by the harvester.

Suarance’s mother, Tafadzwa Chineni, said the repeated delays have deepened their pain.

The family disputes the initial police report filed by Bosman at Murereka Police Station, which blamed Zhanewo and described the incident as an accidental tractor mishap. They insist it was a cover-up to shield Bosman.

Bosman, of Orange Grove in Chinhoyi, maintains his innocence.

For Tichaona Moffat, the deceased’s father, and his relatives, Monday’s aborted hearing represents another chapter in what they describe as a four-year ordeal for answers and accountability.

The case will now resume when the courts reopen next year, forcing the family to wait even longer for the trial to finally get underway.

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