Masendeke brother in court over assaulting police

A MEMBER of the infamous Kwekwe-based Masendeke family, Eliot, facing charges of resisting arrest and assaulting two police officers and a barlady on January 25 last year, has denied the allegations and applied for discharge.

Masendeke yesterday pleaded with resident magistrate Taurai Manwere to throw out the charges at the close of the State case.

In the matter which has been before the courts for over a year now, Masendeke is accused of threatening to stab Constable Saymore Mangere who wanted to arrest him in another assault-related case.

"The accused person became violent and started to resist arrest, shoving Mangere and Constable Joseph Zhuwaki away. At the same time, the accused person bit Constable Mangere once on the forehead and once on the left finger.

"As the scuffle continued, accused produced a pocket knife and threatened to stab the police officers if they stepped closer to him," part of the State outline reads.

The police officers wanted to arrest Masendeke for allegedly assaulting Viginia Saliwe, a barlady in Mbizo township, following a misunderstanding over empty beer bottles.

Masendeke wanted Saliwe to pay him for the beer bottles he had left at the bar the previous night, but assaulted her after she told him to wait for the bar manager.

Prosecutor Vimbai Chinoda told the court that Masendeke was not happy to be told to wait for the manager, got violent and assaulted the bar lady.

The Masendeke family has gained notoriety for terrorising Kwekwe residents, committing crimes such as violence and robbery.

The accused is a brother of the late notorious murderer Edmore Edmund Edgar Masendeke who was hanged in 2002.

Eliot is also jointly charged with two other brothers, Ernest and Edward, on a murder charge after they allegedly assaulted and killed a Mbizo man at the same night spot.

The case is still to be set down for trial because Ernest is still on the run.