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1 August killings: Army did not consult me says Police Boss
12 Nov 2018 at 11:49hrs | Views
The Chief superintendent for Harare Central District‚ Albert Ncube said the army did not meet him to get orders before firing at the protestors. Ncube was giving evidence in front of the Commission of Inquiry led by South Africa's Kgalema Motlanthe.
"I did not have enough manpower as the majority of police officers were assisting the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. The instructions to the Police deployed was to disperse protestors, the police were not armed. The police and support unit managed to keep protestors at HICC under control, "said Chief Superintendent Ncube.
"I asked for assistance from the military and did not get a response but only heard gunshots. I should have met the army first and gave them directives, but this did not happen."
Ncube however says the force used by the military was commensurate to the problem that was on the ground.
The Commission hearings resumed in Harare on Monday with members from the army and the police being part of the witness that took the witness stand.
1st witness: Simbarashe Chikandira (uncle of late Jealous Chikandira) bus driver. I was informed that my nephew was killed by soldiers. Autopsy was done but I was not given the report. I was just told by nurses he was shot in the CBD
2nd Witness Police officer Julius Mashonganyika: I had an AK 47 with 30 rounds. I then saw intoxicated MDC protesters along R. Mugabe/4th street removing President Mnagagwa posters and assaulting people. They then threw stones at Zanu PF Provincial HQ. I was with 2 other constables. I fired warning shots to disperse the crowds but they regrouped.
3rd Witness Police Constable Timothy Chikwena : I was on guard duty at ZANU PF provincial headquarters with witness 2 Julias Mashonganyika who fired 25 warning shots in the air to disperse protestors.
4th Witness Dr Maxwell Hove Director pathology services in the Ministry of Health and Child Care: Initial examination of Sylvia Maphosa was mistaken to be from a bayonet rather than a projectile. Doctors were not part of a scheme to mislead family members on the cause of deaths as suggested.
Witness 5 Dr Christopher Pasi Harare Central clinical Director: 11 patients came in with gunshot wounds including one Challenge Tauro. Another patient Enos Mutangadura came in on 2 August and alleged that he was assaulted with a riffle butt by soldiers in Glenview.
Harare hospital did not provide Challenge Tauro with an ambulance when transferring him to Parirenyatwa hospital, because our ambulances are not equipped to handle critical patients.Recently a High court Judge ruled that President Emmerson Mnangagwa was not involved in the deploying of the soldiers.
"I did not have enough manpower as the majority of police officers were assisting the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. The instructions to the Police deployed was to disperse protestors, the police were not armed. The police and support unit managed to keep protestors at HICC under control, "said Chief Superintendent Ncube.
"I asked for assistance from the military and did not get a response but only heard gunshots. I should have met the army first and gave them directives, but this did not happen."
Ncube however says the force used by the military was commensurate to the problem that was on the ground.
The Commission hearings resumed in Harare on Monday with members from the army and the police being part of the witness that took the witness stand.
2nd Witness Police officer Julius Mashonganyika: I had an AK 47 with 30 rounds. I then saw intoxicated MDC protesters along R. Mugabe/4th street removing President Mnagagwa posters and assaulting people. They then threw stones at Zanu PF Provincial HQ. I was with 2 other constables. I fired warning shots to disperse the crowds but they regrouped.
3rd Witness Police Constable Timothy Chikwena : I was on guard duty at ZANU PF provincial headquarters with witness 2 Julias Mashonganyika who fired 25 warning shots in the air to disperse protestors.
4th Witness Dr Maxwell Hove Director pathology services in the Ministry of Health and Child Care: Initial examination of Sylvia Maphosa was mistaken to be from a bayonet rather than a projectile. Doctors were not part of a scheme to mislead family members on the cause of deaths as suggested.
Witness 5 Dr Christopher Pasi Harare Central clinical Director: 11 patients came in with gunshot wounds including one Challenge Tauro. Another patient Enos Mutangadura came in on 2 August and alleged that he was assaulted with a riffle butt by soldiers in Glenview.
Harare hospital did not provide Challenge Tauro with an ambulance when transferring him to Parirenyatwa hospital, because our ambulances are not equipped to handle critical patients.Recently a High court Judge ruled that President Emmerson Mnangagwa was not involved in the deploying of the soldiers.
Source - Byo24News
