News / Local
Mnangagwa's police refuse to release Mthwakazi car
05 Dec 2022 at 19:32hrs | Views
BULAWAYO police are allegedly refusing to release a vehicle belonging to the Mata- beleland-based Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) that was impounded by the law en- forcement agency in 2021.
Police impounded the Toyota Dyna ve- hicle, registration number AFP0848, dur- ing a surprise demonstration by the MRP outside Bulawayo Central Police station in March 2021.
According to MRP lawyer, Dumisani Dube, police last month declined to accept a letter of demand for the release of the ve- hicle.
"We wrote a letter to the police and they refused to accept it," Dube said.
Dube said he had submitted the letter to the Officer-in-Charge Zimbabwe Republic Police Law and Order Section at Bulawayo Central Police Station on November 15.
"They told us to go to the High Court to seek an order from the court," he said.
"So, basically we are working on a court application to seek an order compelling the police to release the car because that car was not part of any criminal investi- gation.
"It does not belong to the people who were arrested and even in court it was nev- er a subject matter."
The letter dated November 15 directed to OIC Law and Order reads in part: "Our cli- ent advises that his vehicle as noted in the vehicle registration book has been parked under your instructions without any sei- zure note of legal authority for the past six months.
"It is subject to any legal proceedings and we, therefore, request unconditional release of the vehicle within 48 hours of the receipt of this letter, failure to which our client will exercise his legal options."
Nine MRP activists were arrested dur- ing the demonstration and they have since been jailed for violence.
MRP president Mqondisi Moyo said the seizure of the party vehicle was no differ- ent to the way the government confiscated Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZPRA) properties such as farms in the early 1980s.
ZPRA was the military wing of Zapu during the armed struggle.
Government has refused to return the properties.
Police impounded the Toyota Dyna ve- hicle, registration number AFP0848, dur- ing a surprise demonstration by the MRP outside Bulawayo Central Police station in March 2021.
According to MRP lawyer, Dumisani Dube, police last month declined to accept a letter of demand for the release of the ve- hicle.
"We wrote a letter to the police and they refused to accept it," Dube said.
Dube said he had submitted the letter to the Officer-in-Charge Zimbabwe Republic Police Law and Order Section at Bulawayo Central Police Station on November 15.
"They told us to go to the High Court to seek an order from the court," he said.
"So, basically we are working on a court application to seek an order compelling the police to release the car because that car was not part of any criminal investi- gation.
"It does not belong to the people who were arrested and even in court it was nev- er a subject matter."
The letter dated November 15 directed to OIC Law and Order reads in part: "Our cli- ent advises that his vehicle as noted in the vehicle registration book has been parked under your instructions without any sei- zure note of legal authority for the past six months.
"It is subject to any legal proceedings and we, therefore, request unconditional release of the vehicle within 48 hours of the receipt of this letter, failure to which our client will exercise his legal options."
Nine MRP activists were arrested dur- ing the demonstration and they have since been jailed for violence.
MRP president Mqondisi Moyo said the seizure of the party vehicle was no differ- ent to the way the government confiscated Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZPRA) properties such as farms in the early 1980s.
ZPRA was the military wing of Zapu during the armed struggle.
Government has refused to return the properties.
Source - The Herald
