Mystery over Khupe assault case

POLICE have said former MDC-T deputy president, Thokozani Khupe, did not file an assault report following her alleged harassment at the burial of the late party leader, Morgan Tsvangirai in Buhera in February this year.

Police spokesperson, Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi yesterday said they had checked with all police stations to get to the bottom of the matter, but noted that Khupe had not filed an assault report.

"Police have since checked with relevant stations and established that Dr Khupe never made a report. In this case, without a complaint, it is difficult for police to conduct comprehensive investigations," he said.

On Monday, his boss, Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba had said police were still investigating the matter, adding they were aware that the people, who committed, the offence were not originally from Buhera.

"The next question was Thokozani Khupe's case, investigations when they are conducted, there are two issues.

"First, there might be leads and you arrest the perpetrators.

"As police, we are doing all we can to ensure that those perpetrators are brought to book," Charamba said at a Press conference in Harare.

"But we once again also appeal to you. We know those people who committed that offence do not stay in that particular province, they went there for a burial and, as police, we have to make follow-ups to make sure that we arrest perpetrators who were involved.

"Right now, I don't have the correct status with regards to how far they have gone with the investigations.

"But be assured that police investigations are in progress and once those people are arrested, I am sure you will be the first people to know, but investigations are not a one-day event, it is a process."

Khupe's aide Witness Dube yesterday confirmed his boss did not report the alleged assault.

"Khupe was never going to report violence by youth, who clearly were acting on orders of (MDC-T leader) Nelson Chamisa and his group," he said.

"The gross violence they meted out was a result of deep-running political leadership wrangles which these young men and women knew nothing about."

Charamba on Monday also said the police had turned a new leaf, adding: "The police are no longer doing business as before, but in this new trajectory, police officers have been given guidelines. I am saying this time around, the leadership has made it very clear that it is no longer business as usual and all police commanders were addressed and people are working towards achieving results — to show that police will be conducting their business in a different way and I am sure you have not seen this before — it shows we are doing our business in a different way."

Speaking at the same occasion, Senior Assistant Commissioner Erasmus Makodza, who heads a new unit dealing with cases of political violence. said: "Any form of violence, threats of harassment of voters or rival contenders will certainly be dealt with in terms of the country's law. Adequate security provisions have been put in place by the police to ensure primary and harmonised elections are held in a peaceful environment."

Makodza added that special courts would be set up to ensure the speedy prosecution of politically-motivated crimes, with convicts facing a mandatory 10-year jail sentence.