Police in Zimbabwe have arrested 16 people in connection with the death of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) supporter, Mboneni Ncube, who was stabbed with a sharp object while attending a by-election party rally at Mbizo Shopping Center in Kwekwe, Midlands.
In a memorandum to the officer in charge of the Criminal Law and Order Section in the Midlands province, state security agents in Kwekwe said investigations are in progress and the suspects will appear in court soon to face charges of murder and public violence as defined in Section 36 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
According to the CID, the suspects attacked people attending the rally while CCC leader Nelson Chamisa was addressing the large crowd.
Police said they reacted to the scene and got information that the accused persons were hiding at Jessie Gardens, Mbizo 11 Kwekwe, about a kilometer from the venue of the rally and arrested the suspects.
Police said they are looking for Kennedy Simbi, “who is believed to be the main culprit who inflicted the fatal blow on deceased.
“Three motor vehicles were recovered at Jessie Gardens where the accused were hiding. Searches were made in a silver Mercedes Benz AFK 6958 owned by accused 12 (Perscy Mukwaturi). Inside the vehicle were three unbranded yellow T-shirts, one yellow bottom, one black trousers and one sjambok. Recovered inside a black Honda Fit AFC 3464 owned by accused number 16 (Talent Imbayago), was one machete, and inside a white Toyota Chaser registration number ACK 0756 (owner not established) were one machete wrapped with red cloth on the handle, one home made knife with green handle, two catapults, two small catapult stones, one Tecno cell phone, one Nokia cell phone, one gold scale and two black and green caps inscribed ED.”
The CID memorandum read in part, “On the 27th day of February 2022 and at Mbizo 4 shopping centre open space Kwekwe, CCC held a campaign rally commencing at around 1000 hours and was scheduled to end at 1600 hours. At around 1400 hours, whilst Nelson Chamisa was addressing the gathering, suspected ZANU PF youths wearing yellow T-shirts infiltrated the meeting which was held in an open space and one of them threw a stone into the gathering and ran away.
“Towards the end of Nelson Chamisa‘s address suspected ZANU PF youths intercepted people in CCC T-shirts who were walking to the rally and threw stones on them. The skirmishes, about 400 metres from the venue, resulted in deceased being stabbed thrice with a sharp object on the back and died whilst admitted at Kwekwe General Hospital. The injured are admitted at Kwekwe General Hospital and Topomasi Hospital.”
Police said one of the injured CCC supporters, Wilson Maseko, was in a serious condition as he sustained cuts on the head.
The other injured CCC supporters are Isaac Chagonda, Vincent Sithole, Onias Mavhaya, Mutwetwa Mudzengi, Langton Dube (60) and Justice Chakanetsa.