News / Local
Zimbabwe police fighting Mnangagwa
26 Aug 2022 at 15:48hrs | Views
CHEGUTU West Member of Parliament (MP), Dexter Nduna says the police have questioned his legitimacy as legislator and vowed to back the opposition in attempts to eliminate Zanu-PF making Chegutu district ungovernable.
Police arrested the controversial lawmaker Wednesday for allegedly leading the occupation of Kanyemba farm, also known as Risboro, alongside 30 000 Zanu-PF supporters.
The gazetted farm in question was earmarked by the government for urban development under the Smart City project.
Nduna was Thursday granted free bail when he appeared before Chegutu magistrate, Beverly Madzikatire, who remanded the matter to September 21, 2022 for routine remand.
His lawyer, lgnatius Murambatsvina denied allegations levelled against his client claiming the matter was politically engineered.
In a warned and cautioned statement seen by NewZimbabwe.com, Nduna contends there were unnamed high-ranking ZRP officers out to ensure Zanu-PF does not have political control over Chegutu district.
He alleged the cops were sympathetic to MDC activist Gift Konjana, who narrowly lost the Chegutu West constituency seat in the 2018 elections, before mounting a Constitutional Court (ConCourt) challenge which he bitterly lost.
"I deny the allegations, on the said date l was on a Cabinet mission at Pan African Parliament commissioned by His Excellency, when police evicted more than 30 000 Chegutu Zanu-PF supporters from Kanyemba farm in Chegutu," Nduna argued.
"The police have always said Zanu MP in Chegutu is not legitimate and they will fight very hard that Zanu-PF does not have free reign in Chegutu, even after the ConCourt made a ruling against their favour MDC/CCC candidate Konjana."
Nduna further alleged police officers were irked by the large turnout at a recent function in Chegutu graced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
"The recent rally by HE didn't go down well with the police. The police have lived to their threats that Zanu-PF will never have any leadership."
Police have launched a crackdown on Zanu-PF cadres, including war veterans and collaborators, facing unlawful arrests and detention, Nduna further claimed in his statement.
Nduna spent Wednesday night in police cells before appearing in court Thursday facing charges of contravening Section 3 (1) (4) of the Gazetted Land (Consequential Provisions) Act, Chapter 28: 28.
The complainant in the case is the Risboro Joint Committee, chaired by Tatenda Gwinji, who is also Chegutu Rural District Council chairperson.
The state case, led by prosecutor Abigail Fana, is that between June 18 and 25 this year, Nduna led a group of people and occupied the gazetted farm and started unlawfully parceling out stands.
Police arrested the controversial lawmaker Wednesday for allegedly leading the occupation of Kanyemba farm, also known as Risboro, alongside 30 000 Zanu-PF supporters.
The gazetted farm in question was earmarked by the government for urban development under the Smart City project.
Nduna was Thursday granted free bail when he appeared before Chegutu magistrate, Beverly Madzikatire, who remanded the matter to September 21, 2022 for routine remand.
His lawyer, lgnatius Murambatsvina denied allegations levelled against his client claiming the matter was politically engineered.
In a warned and cautioned statement seen by NewZimbabwe.com, Nduna contends there were unnamed high-ranking ZRP officers out to ensure Zanu-PF does not have political control over Chegutu district.
He alleged the cops were sympathetic to MDC activist Gift Konjana, who narrowly lost the Chegutu West constituency seat in the 2018 elections, before mounting a Constitutional Court (ConCourt) challenge which he bitterly lost.
"I deny the allegations, on the said date l was on a Cabinet mission at Pan African Parliament commissioned by His Excellency, when police evicted more than 30 000 Chegutu Zanu-PF supporters from Kanyemba farm in Chegutu," Nduna argued.
"The police have always said Zanu MP in Chegutu is not legitimate and they will fight very hard that Zanu-PF does not have free reign in Chegutu, even after the ConCourt made a ruling against their favour MDC/CCC candidate Konjana."
Nduna further alleged police officers were irked by the large turnout at a recent function in Chegutu graced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
"The recent rally by HE didn't go down well with the police. The police have lived to their threats that Zanu-PF will never have any leadership."
Police have launched a crackdown on Zanu-PF cadres, including war veterans and collaborators, facing unlawful arrests and detention, Nduna further claimed in his statement.
Nduna spent Wednesday night in police cells before appearing in court Thursday facing charges of contravening Section 3 (1) (4) of the Gazetted Land (Consequential Provisions) Act, Chapter 28: 28.
The complainant in the case is the Risboro Joint Committee, chaired by Tatenda Gwinji, who is also Chegutu Rural District Council chairperson.
The state case, led by prosecutor Abigail Fana, is that between June 18 and 25 this year, Nduna led a group of people and occupied the gazetted farm and started unlawfully parceling out stands.
Source - NewZimbabwe
