Vendors in court for attacking municipal cops

Michael Mashiri

Zim Now Correspondent

Two vendors who allegedly attacked municipal police officers who were carrying out their duties in the Harare central business district have been taken to court.

Derreck Nyeke, 33, and Kelvin Chikono, 40, appeared before magistrate Ethel Chichera at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts charged with public violence.

They were remanded in custody.

The State alleges that on May 31, at around 12:50pm, the accused together with others who are still at large, were among illegal vendors who were displaying their wares on pavements for sale along Cameroon Street close to the Flyover on the way to Mbare.

They saw a group of municipal police officers and Zimbabwe Republic Police officers who were arresting illegal vendors and confiscating their wares.

The vendors took their property and disappeared.

The court heard, after about five minutes the accused and other vendors re-organised themselves into three groups and became violent.

They viciously attacked the municipal officers using wooden sticks and sjamboks.

During the process, the accused attacked and seriously injured three of the officers, resulting in them being admitted at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals for medical treatment.

Police Hino lorry registration number AAE 8352 had its quarter glass also damaged.

The ZRP managed to arrest the two accused persons while the others fled from the crime scene.

The total value of goods damaged is yet to be ascertained.