Mirror
accountant Tinashe Koga was ordered by Officer-in-Charge of the Criminal
Investigations Department Law and Order, Edwin Masiiwa, to surrender the car’s
book for verification. Masiiwa, Mirror Editor; Garikai Mafirakureva, News
Editor; Simbarashe Mtembo, Koga and another police officer took the book to
Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara), where details were checked and
authenticated.
Zinara cleared
the car, including the fact that it is up to date with all its statutory
obligations. Sources told Masvingo Mirror that it was Chadzamira’s private
bodyguards and hangers-on, who masquerade as Central Intelligence officers, who
were pressuring police to find a case for Mirror journalists and impound the
vehicle.
Masiiwa said
police are looking for a Toyota Aqua of the same colour as the Mirror vehicle
that was used in a series of robberies around Masvingo between November 14 and
December 4, 2025. The Aqua was allegedly used for robberies at Gain Cash and
Carry in downtown Masvingo, and the robbers went away with US$900, and the car
was captured on CCTV minus the number plate.
Contacted for
comment, Mirror consultant Matthew Takaona urged police and Central
Intelligence chiefs to stop their juniors from being abused by powerful
individuals who regard them as militia.
“It is alarming
that a mere Minister of State for Masvingo Province abrogates himself powers to
summon and direct national institutions as important as the Police and CIO to
fight his personal battles. This brazen abuse of office and authority is
dangerous, as it weakens the centres of such institutions and eventually
creates chaos and anarchy.
“Journalists
have an obligation to cover matters of public interest, including the land
wrangle between Chadzamira and Farai Mutsetse, without fear or favour. Police
and CIO have no business in that matter.
“Masvingo
Mirror will not be intimidated or deterred from duty by hooligans in
Chadzamira’s camp who masquerade as CIOs and police officers. We have respect
for our security arms and no time for impersonators of police and CIO,” said
Takaona.
National Police
Spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the matter was yet to be brought to
his attention.
Chadzamira did
not pick up calls when phoned for a comment.
The journalists
were arrested when they went to Plot No. 1 Flesk in Morningside to investigate
reports of water bursts on the Masvingo City main water pipeline from Bushmead
Waterworks allegedly caused by Chadzamira’s workers, who are building a school
on an 8.5-hectare piece of land which, according to court papers, is owned by
Mutsetse Family Enterprise.
As they drove
around the area, Chadzamira was alerted to the presence of journalists, and he
ordered the police and the CIO to arrest the journalists. Two truckloads, one
of them with nine CID officers (one of them armed with an AK-47 rifle) and
another truck with seven CIO, arrived at the scene and harassed journalists
before arresting them. They were accused of trespassing on Chadzamira’s private
property.
An unidentified
man who hangs around with Chadzamira’s bodyguards and masquerades as a CIO
operative and drives Chadzamira’s 2025 Land Cruiser blocked the Masvingo Mirror
car and started harassing the journalists. He was in the company of Chenaimoyo
Dandanyika, a CIO operative who drives Chadzamira. The man was violent and
poked fingers into Mtembo’s face and dared him to a fight. He told the Masvingo
Mirror that he was a member of the Central Intelligence and his business was to
kill. He said nothing happens to him even if he kills an innocent person.
Dandanyika
refused to disclose the man’s name when contacted by Masvingo Mirror.
A source in the
CIO disowned him and told Masvingo Mirror to report him to the police.
The journalists
were taken to Masvingo Central, where they were detained for three hours before
they were freed. Masvingo Mirror
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