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Writes Desire Tshuma
Three Harare Municipal Police officers who on Saturday 18 May around 3 pm hit a pedestrian with a car registration number ADB 4119 at a zebra crossing along Jason Moyo Avenue have handed themselves to the the Zimbabwe Republic Police at Harare Central Police Station.
According to the complainant, Mr Elvis Nyanhongo, in an interview with this publication, he was crossing the road at a zebra crossing which is along Jason Moyo from Copacabana to Park Street when he noticed a speeding vehicle driven by one of the accused persons.
”I was just in the middle of a zebra crossing lane, and the vehicle was speeding. The driver was not even observing the zebra crossings. When I was just in the middle of the road, I had to run after noticing that the vehicle was not going to observe the rules of the zebra crossing. Unfortunately, it was too late and it hit me with a view mirror on my left hand ” said Mr Elvis Nyanhongo.
He said after they hit him with the rear-view mirror, he stopped by the roadside and asked them why they hit him while he was crossing the zebra line, and the driver who was identified as Peter Muhundi stopped and came out of the car, charged at him and grabbed him by the collar and clapped him three times.
“Other three municipality police who were in the back of the car also disembarked and charged again at me. They kicked me, and also beat me with open hands in full view of the vendors and rank marshals who operate in that area,” narrated Elvis.
He said during the ordeal, he had a laptop bag with a laptop inside, a 20 kg bag of macadamia nuts, and a wallet with US$2 500 which the accused persons stole with other important personal documents.
“People booed them and they drove away along Jason Moyo Avenue. I was traumatized. People helped me to arrange my belongings. Among the well-wishers was a medical doctor who offered to examine me to ascertain if I had internal injuries,” said Mr Nyanhongo.
When this writer called the Municipal Police boss investigations, Mr Sabumba, he acknowledged that the case had been reported to his office and they are doing the investigations.
”Yes, the case is already on my desk and we are doing investigations. We shall advise you when we are done with our investigations ” said Mr Sabumba.
The complaint also told this publication that one of the accused persons, Peter Muhundi, on Tuesday midday phoned and asked to meet him and advised him to come to the corner of Jason Moyo and Mbuya Nehanda so that they talk.
He refused to meet him citing fear of being attacked again. Audio recordings of the accused’s calls are also kept by the complaint. The Spiked Online Media reporter tried to call the accused but his mobile number wasn’t available.
Random interviews were conducted in that vicinity with vendors and rank marshals who wanted to remain anonymous in fear of being victimized as they said the same Municipal Police officers are vicious and accused of always beating up vendors and other ordinary citizens who will be doing their own business in the CBD.