HARARE, Zimbabwe – A Zimbabwean military intelligence officer discovered hanging from a tree in Figtree was murdered, his cousin Senator Lwazi Sibanda revealed during an emotional parliamentary address Wednesday. The death, initially ruled a suicide, has raised questions about potential foul play.

Hillary Nleya, reported missing last month, was found dead in Matabeleland South after disappearing near the Plumtree-Bulawayo road. His body was discovered following a two-week search.

“I stand here with a cousin lying in the mortuary whom we searched for over two weeks, only to find him dead in Figtree,” Senator Sibanda said during a debate on the Death Penalty Abolition Bill. “He was murdered by a person we do not yet know.”

The revelation came as Senator Sibanda addressed Parliament about rising violence across Zimbabwe, citing recent incidents including an arson attack that targeted a sleeping family.

Nleya’s funeral is scheduled for Saturday in Dombodema, Plumtree, according to the Senator, who expressed concerns about the timing conflicting with her parliamentary duties.

The Zimbabwe National Army has not commented on the case. Acting spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mungofa had not responded to requests for comment by press time.

Matabeleland South police officials said they had not received a report about the incident, raising additional questions about the investigation’s status.

The case has emerged amid broader debates about capital punishment in Zimbabwe. Senator Sibanda voiced opposition to abolishing the death penalty, citing concerns about unrepentant murderers.

“People will be killed by those we show remorse to, who don’t even show any remorse to us,” she said. “There is so much pain caused by these murderers that we are still defending as a country.”

The death of Nleya, a military intelligence officer, has intensified scrutiny of security force-related deaths in Zimbabwe, where similar cases have previously sparked controversy.