Police assault, arrest ZANU-PF officials

POLICE in Bindura allegedly pounced on a number of ZANU PF supporters who were conducting a restructuring exercise in Bindura and heavily assaulted before arresting some of them in retaliation of their colleague who had been assaulted the previous day.

The police who were clad in riot gear used tear smoke before assaulting the ruling party officials who were led by Shamva based Chairwoman Phamhidzayi Chirimuuta who confirmed the incident.

Chirimuuta told NewsDay that the charged officers heavily assaulted them and picked some of their youths who are yet to be released.

"We were at the business centre conducting our restructuring exercise when charged police officers came and tear gassed us saying one of their colleague was assaulted at the same venue on Sunday so they assaulted us and picked some of our youths," confirmed Chirimuuta.

"One of our former youth chairman Sydney Mashongeka was picked by the police and he is yet to be released."

She further claimed that the police came loaded in three vehicles a Toyota Wish, Honda Fit and a Kombi.

Effort to contact police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi were fruitless.

Meanwhile, ZANU PF officials fought on Saturday in Bindura on factional grounds during district elections.