Touts kidnap, assault traffic police officers for impounding car

THE Asifuni Bumbulu chant landed four touts in hot soup after they allegedly assaulted police officers who had impounded their colleague's vehicle.

The four could not come to terms with the fact that three law enforcement officers had impounded a kombi driven by Sibangani Chihoto.

Tapiwa Mpofu (31), Sibusiso Ncube (24), Tatenda Ziyera (29) and Mcebisi Tshuma (28) decided to take matters into their hands and assaulted police officers Elizabeth Machasave, Manuel Muzambi and Busani Moyo.

The police officers are based at the Bulawayo Central Police Station.

Appearing before Tinashe Tashaya at the Bulawayo Magistrates' Courts the touts were charged with obstruction of justice, intimidation and assault.

They allegedly helped the kombi driver Sibangani Chihoto to kidnap and assault police officers chanting  "Asifuni Bumbulu".

The police trio reportedly impounded Chihoto's vehicle instructing him to drive to Bulawayo Central Police Station but he refused to comply.

Narrating their ordeal in court one of the officers, Busani Moyo, said:

"The driver (Chihoto) did not comply with instructions to drive to the police station but instead drove to Egodini (Basch Street Terminus) where he teamed up with the four accused persons who began chanting the Asifuni Bumbulu slogan. They told us that the vehicle was not going anywhere," said Moyo.

Chihoto is alleged to have locked up the vehicle before fleeing the scene, leaving the hapless police officers at the mercy of the angry touts.

The other police officer Machavase chipped in.

"The accused persons started demanding the release of their colleague before dragging us out of the vehicle and demanding that we leave Egodini immediately," he said.

The touts did not deny the charges levelled against them but claimed that they were not aware that their behaviour was tantamount to committing a crime.

"The driver of the vehicle told us that the police officers were demanding a bribe from him hence we shouted asifuni bumbulu. We then pulled them out of the vehicle as we do not take kindly to paying bribes," said one of the accused, Tshuma.

Tashaya cautioned the touts and ordered them to pay a fine of $30 each as they were first time offenders.

"Being touts does not give you the right to intimidate police officers. Stop interfering with the law. You are all lucky to be first time offenders, the next time you commit such a crime I will send you to jail," said Tashaya.