Mapositori will be informed of their trial date on July 16

Twenty four Johanne Masowe eChishanu sect members facing public violence charges for allegedly assaulting police officers and journalists in May in Budiriro, Harare, will be informed of their trial date on July 16.

This was said by prosecutor Sharon Mashavira when the group briefly appeared in court last week.

Mashavira also assured presiding magistrate Donald Ndirowei that she would furnish the court with a report on complaints of assault in police custody raised by the accused persons last month.

The sect members' lawyer, Obey Shava, raised concern over the state's failure to comply with a court order issued on June 10 to investigate the assault complaints.

Shava requested the state to produce its findings over the allegations of assault his clients suffered at the hands of the police.

During their first appearance on June 10, the sect members claimed they were tortured while in custody by vengeful law enforcement agents.

The then presiding magistrate, Vakayi Douglas Chikwekwe, ordered the prosecution to investigate the assault before furnishing the court with detailed reports.

"The state was ordered to investigate assault complaints made by accused persons on June 10," Shava said.

"They failed to comply with the order by June 16 and were given another chance which they failed to utilise."

Allegations against the accused persons arose on May 30 when an entourage led by Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ) president Archbishop Johannes Ndanga went to the church's shrine in Budiriro 2 with the intention of banning the sect on allegations of undermining women and children's rights.

The sect members challenged the ACCZ leader to read his speech in Shona, claiming they were not familiar with English.

Ndanga then ordered police to arrest one of the congregants who kept interjecting as he read his speech.

Other congregants thereon began singing a song Umambo hwepfumo neropa before all male congregants armed with ‘holy sticks' charged towards the "trespassers," and assaulted them.