Police in Gutu have arrested four members of a Zanu PF gang notorious for terrorising people in the district. Two of the members were arrested for allegedly obstructing the course of justice after they fought cops trying to apprehend the other two members.
The remaining two were arrested for alleged assault.
Josephat Sarukore, a land baron who sells residential
stands at Gracelands in Mpandawana Growth Point donated to him by the party for
free, and Joseph Mudziwepasi were arrested on Monday. They have since been
remanded in custody to May 16 2023, by Gutu Magistrate Mandlekosi Ndhlovu after
they appeared in court on Tuesday.
Police spokesperson Kudakwashe Dhewa said he could not
comment on the matter since the case is now before the courts.
Human rights lawyer Martin Mureri described the gang as
notorious and unrepentant.
The Mirror is reliably informed that Sarukore, a Zanu PF
Gutu DCC chairman and the most feared political activist in the district and
Mudziwepasi had running battles with Police at Gracelands suburb on Monday. The
two pulled Sylvester Mashamba and Jonathan Mugutso out of the Police vehicle
after they had been arrested on charges of assault. Several times, Police would
again take the suspects into the car, but Sarukore and Mudziwepasi would pull
them out again.
The four were eventually arrested after Police decided to
apprehend Sarukore, who is widely regarded as the terror leader. Police
detained the four in custody overnight and brought them to court on Tuesday.
Mashamba and Mugutso were released, while Sarukore and Mudziwepasi were
remanded in custody.
Mashamba and Mugutso were arrested for allegedly assaulting
builders constructing houses in the Gracelands suburb. Anyone contracted to
build a house at Sarukore’s housing scheme is required to always wear Zanu PF
regalia. Any violation of that rule results in the contractor being chucked out
or the stand being withdrawn from the buyer. All builders are required to pay
US$200 to Sarukore to be allowed to build houses in Gracelands.
Sarukore, his brothers, and Mudziwepasi have been accused
of unleashing violence in Gutu Growth Point. However, the public has always
complained that gang is above the law as they are never arrested by Police.
In 2021 they were linked to violence that led to the death
of Nyasha Zhambe, but Police have still not arrested them.
Meanwhile, Josephat Sarukore and his brother Tawanda have
been issued with a warrant of arrest after they failed to appear in court on
Monday over another case of alleged violence. The two are accused of assaulting
Tinotenda and Jervas Makumbe who are opposition CCC members.
The two, together with Mashamba, Mugutso, Tawanda and
Samson Sarukore, were fingered as the ZANU PF terror squad who assaulted CCC
supporters including, Tinotenda and Jervas Makumbe, whom they left for dead.
Human rights lawyer Martin Mureri described the group as
unrepentant as they are accused of assaulting police officers on a day they
were supposed to prove their remorse on another assault case.
“The gang is unrepentant, and it is above the law. Police
seem to be afraid of the gang, and it respects no one. It unleashes violence
against CCC members, and now it is fighting the Police,” said Mureri. Masvingo
Mirror
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