THE trial of five men accused of kidnapping villagers they
accused of stealing gold ore at a mine believed to be owned by United Family
International Church (UFIC) leader Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa in Mutawatawa,
has been set for March 18.
Garikai Murambidzi, Warren Chinyani, Joseph Dzomba, Osward
Mukwesha and Brian Mawarura yesterday appeared before Mutawatawa magistrate Mr
Elijah Sibanda .
They were granted $100 bail each. They are facing
kidnapping charges. Alternatively, the five will be charged with unlawful
detention.
Appearing for the State,
prosecutor Mr Kelvin Munyimi alleged that the gang committed the offence
on January 24 this year at Havilah Mine.
The five accused some villagers of stealing gold ore at
Havilah Gold Mine. They took the villagers to Havilah Milling Plant where they
locked them up in a small room around 1pm.
It is the State’s case that the five interrogated the
suspects and severely assaulted them.
The said unlawful detention dragged for 23 hours until 12
noon the following day.
After release, the villagers were handed over to the
police. Police investigations later revealed the kidnapping and
torture, leading to the arrest of the five.
The villagers in question were also employed at Havilah
Mine, which is commonly known as “KwaMakandiwa”.
They were reportedly subjected to inhuman and degrading
treatment involving battery, immersion in water and electrocution.
They were also allegedly beaten with rifle butts, batons
and other objects.
The assailants also issued death threats, extracted
confessions and confiscated property from the victims.
The assailants in the matter — led by the mine’s security
officer Garikai Murambidzi — claimed to be members of the Zimbabwe Republic
Police’s Serious Frauds Section and later Central Intelligence Organisation
(CIO), according to lawyers representing the victims.
In a letter to Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga
dated February 14, 2019, the victims’ legal team from Harare firm, Chinawa Law
Chambers, outlined the grave circumstances of the matter detailing how the
assaults had taken place between January 24 and 25 this year.
“Our clients were warned that the assault would not stop
and they would not be released but would be killed unless they admitted that
they were the ones who had stolen Makandiwa’s gold,” reads the letter.
The lawyers say that the five, fearing for their lives,
made confessions to their accusers but the case fell through after it went for
due process.
“Our clients were detained at the police station from
January 25-27. They were arraigned before the Mutawatawa Magistrates Court whereupon
the State declined to prosecute the matter due to insufficient evidence,” said
the lawyers.
“Our clients managed to identify one of the four men as
Joseph Dzomba, a retired police officer who is now a personal bodyguard and
security personnel for Prophet Makandiwa,” said the lawyers. Herald
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