Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

A 23-YEAR-OLD man from Bulawayo stole and sold a Nokia Lumia phone during prayers after taking it from its owner under the pretext that he wanted to pray for it as it was the source of his misfortunes. Givemore Mujeyi of Paddonhurst suburb stole Mr Shakemore Marange’s phone while they were at a prayer meeting […]

Source: Slain footballer’s family moves to sue govt | Newsday (News)

BY OBEY MANAYITI

THE family of the late Chitungwiza footballer Kelvin Choto, who was allegedly shot by security forces during last month’s protests against fuel price hikes, has given notice to sue government.

Choto’s family is also seeking to force the State to release various critical documents that can reveal the truth about his death. Choto was among the 17 people killed by State security agents deployed to quell the violent protests that were triggered by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s 150% fuel price hike in mid-January.

Over 80 people reportedly sustained gunshot wounds, according to human rights groups. Choto was shot and died on the spot on January 14 near Chitungwiza Police Station.

The family has written to Home Affairs minister Cain Matema expressing dismay over the way the police handled the matter.

The deceased’s family claims that it had encountered difficulties in accessing critical documents to take their case to the next level after they were initially told to collect the post-mortem report from Chitungwiza Police Station.

“On January 21, 2019, Julius Choto (deceased’s father) went to collect the post-mortem report, but the member-in-charge informed him that the report was not for his consumption and that only the Police Commissioner-General (Godwin Matanga) could release the report,” the family’s letter, copied to Matanga, Prosecutor-General Kumbirai Hodzi and Health minister Obadiah Moyo, read.

“The family has still not been supplied with a copy of the report, nor have they been advised of the outcome of any investigation.”

The Choto family is demanding to be furnished with copies of any consent or authorisation given for the initiation of the post-mortem process in terms of section 4 and 8 of the Anatomical Donations and Post-Mortem Examinations Act or any instructions given for post-mortem by a magistrate.

They are also demanding a copy of any report made by a medical practitioner to a magistrate over their son’s death from unnatural causes in terms of section 7(1) of the Burial and Cremation Act and a copy of the inquest report in terms of section 13 of the Inquest Act.

“In the event that an inquest has not been initiated, we hereby request that the matter be urgently referred to a magistrate for investigation in terms of section 5 of the Inquest Act Chapter 7:07,” the notice, giving the minister seven days to act, reads.

“Finally, we do hereby notify you of our clients’ intention to sue for damages for the unlawful killing of Kelvin Tinashe Choto by the Zimbabwe Republic Police. Damages to be claimed include loss of support, pain and suffering and nervous shock, the sum to be commuted in due course and to be furnished in the summons commencing action.”

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Source: Makandiwa implicated in gold mine kidnap, torture | The Herald February 27, 2019

Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa

Herald Reporters
UNITED Family International Church (UFIC) leader Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa has been implicated in a case in which five men were reportedly kidnapped and tortured for allegedly stealing gold ore from Havilah Gold Mine in Mutoko, which is believed to be owned by the clergyman.

Lloyd Sande (24), Godknows Mhungu (21), Bornface Mudzonga (29), Julius Mudzonga (age not given) and Clever Masango (20) reside in villages around Mutawatawa Shopping Centre and were employed at the 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 five.

They purported to be acting on behalf of Prophet Makandiwa to recover the gold ore following a heist that allegedly took place on or around December 17 last year.

The victims later made reports to Mutawatawa Police Station, but the assailants were not arrested.

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 instead unless if they admitted that they were the ones who had stolen Makandiwa’s gold,” reads the letter.

The lawyers says 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.

They are demanding an investigation into how police handled the matter.

“Our clients also consider it appropriate to demand an investigation into the manner in which Mr Mafumbate the Officer in-charge has acted as it amounts to connivance with accused persons and shielding them from arrest and interference with investigations and due process of law.

“Our clients now live in fear and still receive suspicious anonymous calls from the perpetrators victimizing them

Contacted for comment UFIC spokesperson Pastor Prime Kufakunesu dismissed the allegations as unfounded.

He said Makandiwa does not own any gold mine as being alleged.

“I am actually surprised to hear about this because in as far as I know Prophet Makandiwa does not own a gold mine,” he said.

Pastor Kufakunesu went on saying he was also surprised where these people were getting all those falsehoods from.

The Herald could not independently ascertain the ownership of the mine at the going to print last night.

The post Makandiwa implicated in gold mine kidnap, torture  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

ZANU PF legislator and Zimbabwe Cross-Border Traders’ Association (ZCBTA) chairperson, Killer Zivhu has slammed the move by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) to introduce bureau de changes, saying this will encourage parallel market activities and take the country back to the 2008 era. RBZ governor John Mangudya last week announced a new monetary policy […]

Source: No Zim man resurrected in SA | The Herald February 27, 2019

Social media was awash with claims by a Congolese preacher based in South Africa, Mr Alph Lukau of the Alleluia International Ministries church on Sunday that he had “resurrected” a Zimbabwean who had died on Friday in Johannesburg.

Bulawayo Bureau
GOVERNMENT yesterday dismissed claims that a Zimbabwean man was “resurrected” by a controversial pastor in South Africa as his body was being brought home, saying no repatriation papers had been processed to support the claims.

Zimbabwe’s Consul-General to South Africa Mr Batiraishe Mukonoweshuro set the record straight in an interview with our Bulawayo Bureau following claims by a Congolese preacher based in South Africa, Mr Alph Lukau of the Alleluia International Ministries church on Sunday that he had “resurrected” a Zimbabwean who had died on Friday in Johannesburg.

The alleged Sunday miracle has received criticism from all angles and has attracted a lawsuit from a funeral parlour.

Mr Mukonoweshuro, who signs repatriation letters for locals who die in the neighbouring country, said he was not in possession of papers clearing any Zimbabwean to be repatriated on Sunday from South Africa.

He said as the man was said to have died last Friday, there was no way the body could have been repatriated on Sunday as the whole process could only be done during weekdays.

Mr Mukonoweshuro said after the alleged death last Friday, there was no way the so-called family would have managed to clear the body in a day.

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