News / National
'Soldiers fired randomly on August 1'
23 Oct 2018 at 15:17hrs | Views
A victim of the August 1 post-poll violence which claimed six lives said soldiers fired randomly at people in the streets and he was hit by a stray bullet.
Giving his evidence on the second day of the hearing by the Commission of Inquiry chaired by former South Africa President Kgalema Motlanthe, the victim, Adrian Mujeri says he was hit by a stray bullet in Angwa Street.
The hearings which started on Tuesday ends today in Harare.
Other members of the Commission British lawyer Rodney Dixon, former Commonwealth Secretary General Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Chief of Defence Force for Tanzania Retired General Davis Mwamunyange, University of Zimbabwe lecturers Charity Manyeruke and Lovemore Madhuku and former Law Society of Zimbabwe president Vimbai Nyemba.
Mujeyi said the doctors who treated him at Parirenyatwa Hospital said his arm injury was a result of bullet hit by an AK 47.
"I had witnessed a group of protesters coming from Harvest House marching in the streets but I did not want to be associated with them and we ran away to seek shelter in the Post Office building," Mujeri said.
"We then came out of the building with my friends as we had thought that the protesters had dispersed and this is moment when I saw an army truck with soldiers patrolling the streets. I then attempted to collect my wares I was selling in the streets, but I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my arm and saw blood coming out of my hand."
He ran to Harare Central Police station where an ambulance was called to transport the injured to Parirenyatwa Hospital for treatment.
"But I know I was shot by the soldiers," Mujeri said.
Marian Chidamba gave evidence on how her late sister Slyvia Maphosa was shot dead by soldiers in the streets of Harare.
"My sister Slyvia was shot dead in the streets of Harare and I got a picture of her dead body lying in the streets of Harare on the WhatsApp group. I recognised her dead body through the clothes she was wearing. I had to contact her husband and my other brothers and sisters to go to Parirenyatwa Hospital to identify her body and also to the police to confirm what had happened," said Chidamba.
"Upon arrival at Parirenyatwa Hospital, we saw her dead body which had a bullet wound on her chest but to our surprise her death certificate was written stab wound. We had to argue with the doctor who had done the autopsy to write the correct medical results confirming a gun shot," she said.
Chidamba said it was after the intervention of the Zimbabwe Doctors for Human Rights that the doctor wrote that it was a gun wound.
"We had some witness who came to our house for the funeral who confirmed that he had seen the incident how she was shot dead by the soldier despite pleading for mercy for her life," she said.
Giving his evidence on the second day of the hearing by the Commission of Inquiry chaired by former South Africa President Kgalema Motlanthe, the victim, Adrian Mujeri says he was hit by a stray bullet in Angwa Street.
The hearings which started on Tuesday ends today in Harare.
Other members of the Commission British lawyer Rodney Dixon, former Commonwealth Secretary General Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Chief of Defence Force for Tanzania Retired General Davis Mwamunyange, University of Zimbabwe lecturers Charity Manyeruke and Lovemore Madhuku and former Law Society of Zimbabwe president Vimbai Nyemba.
Mujeyi said the doctors who treated him at Parirenyatwa Hospital said his arm injury was a result of bullet hit by an AK 47.
"I had witnessed a group of protesters coming from Harvest House marching in the streets but I did not want to be associated with them and we ran away to seek shelter in the Post Office building," Mujeri said.
"We then came out of the building with my friends as we had thought that the protesters had dispersed and this is moment when I saw an army truck with soldiers patrolling the streets. I then attempted to collect my wares I was selling in the streets, but I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my arm and saw blood coming out of my hand."
He ran to Harare Central Police station where an ambulance was called to transport the injured to Parirenyatwa Hospital for treatment.
"But I know I was shot by the soldiers," Mujeri said.
Marian Chidamba gave evidence on how her late sister Slyvia Maphosa was shot dead by soldiers in the streets of Harare.
"My sister Slyvia was shot dead in the streets of Harare and I got a picture of her dead body lying in the streets of Harare on the WhatsApp group. I recognised her dead body through the clothes she was wearing. I had to contact her husband and my other brothers and sisters to go to Parirenyatwa Hospital to identify her body and also to the police to confirm what had happened," said Chidamba.
"Upon arrival at Parirenyatwa Hospital, we saw her dead body which had a bullet wound on her chest but to our surprise her death certificate was written stab wound. We had to argue with the doctor who had done the autopsy to write the correct medical results confirming a gun shot," she said.
Chidamba said it was after the intervention of the Zimbabwe Doctors for Human Rights that the doctor wrote that it was a gun wound.
"We had some witness who came to our house for the funeral who confirmed that he had seen the incident how she was shot dead by the soldier despite pleading for mercy for her life," she said.
Source - businesstimes
