News / National
Witnesses positively identify mapositori assailants
06 Oct 2014 at 17:04hrs | Views
The trial of the 37 members of the Vapositori sect continued today [Monday] at the Harare Magistrate Court with two witnesses positively identifying seven accused persons.
First to take the witness stand was a police officer, Chipo Chironga who is one of the victims of the assault.
Chironga identified Clement Chimutsa, Madzimure Madzimure, Charles Matanga and Darlington Mambaya as some of the people who assaulted Assistant Inspector Alfred Zhou.
Chironga told the court that 20 police officers were surrounding more than 600 congregants at their Budiriro shrine when Bishop Johannes Ndanga was addressing them.
She said the group started assaulting them after Bishop Ndanga's address.
Chironga added that the accused persons were using their staffs and throwing stones at the victims.
Chironga sustained minor injuries and she received treatment at Harare Hospital.
Second to take the witness stand was Bishop Lameck Chitope who had life threatening injuries after the attack.
The elderly man of cloth revealed that he had six stitches on his head and sustained a broken arm which he is still nursing.
Bishop Chitope told the court his assailants advised him that they wanted to kill Bishop Ndanga.
According to state papers, six people were assaulted by the Vapositori and two of them sustained life threatening injuries.
The trial kicked off last week with all the Vapositori denying the charges, saying they never assaulted the victims.
All the 37 Vapositori who have no legal representation were accorded opportunities to cross examine the witnesses.
First to take the witness stand was a police officer, Chipo Chironga who is one of the victims of the assault.
Chironga identified Clement Chimutsa, Madzimure Madzimure, Charles Matanga and Darlington Mambaya as some of the people who assaulted Assistant Inspector Alfred Zhou.
Chironga told the court that 20 police officers were surrounding more than 600 congregants at their Budiriro shrine when Bishop Johannes Ndanga was addressing them.
She said the group started assaulting them after Bishop Ndanga's address.
Chironga added that the accused persons were using their staffs and throwing stones at the victims.
Second to take the witness stand was Bishop Lameck Chitope who had life threatening injuries after the attack.
The elderly man of cloth revealed that he had six stitches on his head and sustained a broken arm which he is still nursing.
Bishop Chitope told the court his assailants advised him that they wanted to kill Bishop Ndanga.
According to state papers, six people were assaulted by the Vapositori and two of them sustained life threatening injuries.
The trial kicked off last week with all the Vapositori denying the charges, saying they never assaulted the victims.
All the 37 Vapositori who have no legal representation were accorded opportunities to cross examine the witnesses.
Source - zbc
