The family of the late Detective Constable Cassandra Hove, who was fatally shot by a fellow officer while allegedly chasing armed robbers, has enlisted the help of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) to address concerns about how the police are handling the case.
The family has been outspoken about the unprofessional and opaque manner in which the authorities have managed Hove’s death.
Mr. Chikauriso Hove, Cassandra’s father, told *Chronicle* that he reached out to ZLHR to demand clarity regarding the circumstances of her death. Last week, ZLHR gave the police a seven-day deadline to provide detailed information about the incident.
The ZLHR’s letter was also sent to several key figures, including the Officer in Charge of Pumula Police Station, the Officer Commanding Bulawayo Province, ZRP Commissioner-General Stephen Mutamba, and Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe.
One of the key concerns raised by the family is the behavior of Hove’s colleague, Lethokuhle Sibanda. According to ZLHR, Sibanda completed post-mortem authorization forms without consulting Hove’s family.
The family is also alarmed by reports that Sibanda visited Cassandra’s home after her death and demanded information about her properties and mobile phones from her children. The children, however, refused to comply, following guidance from other relatives.
Additionally, it is alleged that Sibanda received a R3,000 funeral contribution from residents of Luveve but did not pass it on to Hove’s family.
The family has also expressed concern about the arrest of an armed robbery suspect, Fikile Ncube, who was reportedly apprehended on the night Cassandra died in connection with the incident. However, the family claims that they were never informed of this development.
During a meeting with ZRP officials on March 8, Mr. Hove was told that the preliminary investigation indicated that his daughter had been shot with a police-issued firearm, which contradicts what the family had initially been told.
The police have not yet released further details about the case, but Commissioner-General Stephen Mutamba has assured the family that a thorough investigation will be conducted and that no stone will be left unturned in determining the truth surrounding Cassandra Hove’s death.
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