THE trial of six police officers who allegedly brutalised
two women from Bulawayo’s Cowdray Park suburb for allegedly violating lockdown
regulations started on Wednesday.
The police officers’ application for exception was
dismissed by Western Commonage magistrate, Ms Gladmore Mushove.
Ms Mushove ruled on Tuesday that the reasons for exception
cited by the police officers’ lawyers were not justified.
Simbarashe Bvekwa (26), Tichaona Zariro (34), Patson
Gumoreyi (30), Elizabeth Denhere (41), Zibusiso Masuku (27) and Christabel
Munyondo (28) who are all members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) are
facing assault charges. Ms Mushove remanded the accused to July 28 for continuation
of trial.
The accused persons allegedly handcuffed and assaulted the
two sisters aged 30 and 36 years after they found them at the shops where they
were buying some foodstuffs on April 16.
The two women were allegedly assaulted for hours with batons
on their backs, hips and legs by the police officers who accused them of
violating lockdown regulations. The officers allegedly detained the women
overnight at Cowdray Park Police Base after refusing to let them pay fines.
In their defence, through their lawyer, Mr Maclean Mahaso
of Tanaka Law Chambers, the officers said the charges levelled against them
were framed. They however said the complainants acted in an unbecoming manner
towards them on the day in question.
“My clients were on an assignment to maintain lockdown
regulations in Cowdray Park suburb on the day in question. When they arrived at
TM supermarket there was a long queue for mealie-meal. The complainants were
standing at a distance from the queue,” said Mr Mahaso.
“The police officers ordered people to either join the
queue in an orderly manner or go home and at that point, the complainants
started to protest and shouted obscenities and other abusive words at the
accused persons.”
Mr Mahaso said the accused persons sought to apprehend the
two complainants but they fled and were blocked at the entrance of TM
Supermarket.
“The complainants were blocked from gaining entry by
members of staff at the supermarket. The six accused persons took the
complainants and advised them that they were under arrest,” he said.
Mr Mahaso said his clients took the complainants to Cowdray
Park Police Base where they were detained.
“They expressly admitted their criminal behaviour which
culminated in their payment of fine of $200 each and left the base,” he said.
Prosecuting, Mr Kenneth Shava, said on April 16 this year,
the two women met the police officers and they stopped them and demanded to
know where they were coming from during the lockdown period.
The complainants told the accused persons that they were
coming from a butchery to buy meat. The court heard that the accused persons
grabbed the complainants and hit them with a baton several times on their
buttocks.
In the process, one of the complainants’ cellphone, which
was in her back pocket was damaged.
“The accused persons took turns to assault the two women on
their buttocks and hips several times, insulting them with obscenities. They
then handcuffed and force-marched them to Cowdray Park Police Base where they
released them the following day after paying a fine of $200 each,” said Mr
Shava.
A report was made to the police leading to the arrest of
the six accused persons following an identification parade. The complainants
alleged cops picked them out from a queue at the supermarket and cuffed their
hands behind their backs.
The officers allegedly force-marched the victims through a
bush to Cowdray Park Police Base, making frequent stops along the way to beat
them with batons. Chronicle
0 comments:
Post a Comment