Hopley land dispute worsens, Zanu PF youths confro...

Hopley land dispute worsens, Zanu PF youths confront police over ‘bias’

Nyashadzashe Ndoro

The land dispute between former Harare South lawmaker, Shadreck Mashayamombe and 55 Zanu PF youths has taken a nasty turn with the Zanu PF youths accusing the police of unprofessionally siding with Mashayamombe, Zim Now can exclusively reveal.

The 55 Zanu PF youths and their families were allocated stands ranging from 1 500 to 4 020 square metres in 2014 by then Harare South MP Mashayamombe under dubious circumstances through Harare South Housing Projects Cooperative Pvt (Ltd), formed by the legislator to empower youths.

Mashayamombe in 2016 resurfaced trying to repossess the land using a company called Tanaka Development Group where he controls 60 percent of the shares.

The impasse between Mashayombe and the youths has been raging on despite the matter being before the courts and the offices of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputy Kembo Mohadi.

Investigations on the ground unearthed that some of the residents were living in fear and were receiving periodic threats from unknown assailants believed to be proxies from Mashayamombe.

On September 2, five youths: Maraki Barure, Togara Lazaro, Shingirai Muchuweni, Lucas Mubaiwa, and Gerald Mubaiwa were arrested and charged with criminal trespassing under controversial circumstances.

The five were arrested by Constable Takawira Munyikwa force number 082155D and detained at Waterfalls Police Station for working on a disputed Hopley stand number 9090, which was allegedly allocated to Happymore Mutandwa by Mashayombe in 2014 which the former lawmaker denies.

The matter of the disputed land in question is currently before the courts.

Following the arrest of the five youths, two members of the local security team, Givemore Tendemudzi and Vicmore Chosana, went to Waterfalls Police Station to enquire on the matter of the two and were also arrested.

The order to arrest Tendemudzi and Chosana came from Assistant Inspector Milton Nyamavara, force number 048375C.

Tendemudzi and Chosana were jointly charged with criminal trespass allegations with the five youths that were originally working on the disputed land.

Tendeukai Justice Taruva, a Zanu PF youth and residents’ leader in a letter dated September 4 to police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga, the President’s Office, and other State institutions, lamented that Mashayamombe had allegedly exploited his connections within the police force to arrest along with two members of their local security team.

Taruva argued that the arrest of the two security personnel Tendemudzi and Chosana was part of a larger conspiracy to sabotage efforts to fight unlawful demolitions organised by Mashayamombe and his associates.

“When I asked the two police officers, Constable Munyikwa and AI strongly objected to AI Nyamavara’s justification of the arrest based on the fact that Mr Mashayamombe’s lawyers, Makuku Law Firm, had served the occupant of the stand with a letter of demand on the 12th of July, 2023, together with 19 other youths.

“Like everybody, the occupant had responded to the papers claiming that he believed he was also the rightful owner of the property,” read Taruva’s letter.

“It is my humble submission that the liability for wrongful arrest lies with him (Munyikwa) and Assistant Inspector Milton Nyamavara as was established in Zuvarimwe and Anor V Naran and Anor HH161-14.

“It is my understanding that the above narration and case law cited demonstrate beyond reasonable doubt that the arrests made by Constable Munyikwa and AI Milton Nyamuvara fell far short of the requirements espoused in the (Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act (Chapter 9:07) of Zimbabwe,” further read Taruva’s letter.

The seven youths were later released on free bail.

Spencer Mavhura, another Zanu PF youth who owns stand number 8951 Lot 4 of Hopely (Grobbie Park) also allocated by Mashayamombe in 2014, on September 24 reported a case of Malicious damage to property against Borninface Chikono, a director of Tinborn Investments and Mashayombe’s associate implicated in the land wrangle.

Chikono on March 10, 2022, with the aid of hired thugs, demolished Mavhura’s house, accusing him of being an illegal settler.

Mavhura’s case was opened under RRB 1340/23 and a court date at Mbare Magistrates’ Courts was set.

But the National Prosecuting Authority told Mavhura that the court did not have such a case following enquiries.

It further emerged that the Investigating Officer, Constable Munyimbiri, did not send the docket to court.

“I went to Waterfalls Police Station to accompany the IO Constable Mayimbiri to court.

“At the station, he was not present and was advised to go straight to Mbare court by other police officers.

“When I arrived, I made inquiries concerning the courtroom and time of trial but alas could not find my case,” said Mavhura.

“Around 11am, I asked the Prosecutor-in-Charge concerning my case and he informed me that no case had been brought at Mbare by any officer from Waterfalls.

“My attempts to call Constable Munyimbiri were futile as his phone kept ringing unanswered until it was switched off.

“Dejected by these developments I went back to the police station and still could not find Munyimbiri and the police officers that attended to my pleas failed to give me a satisfactory answer,” lamented Mavhura.

“My logical guess is that the IO (Munyimbiri) was paid by Mr Chikono, the accused, to make sure that the case does not go to court because he is aware that more than 15 witnesses saw him destroy my house when I was away,” said Mavhura.

Munyimbiri is the same officer, who is said to have made another docket by another Zanu PF youth, Brian Muchaombera, disappear under mysterious circumstances.

Muchaombera’s police report was filed February under RRB 541 4714 police docket, charging Aaron Chidanire and a hired bouncer Lawrence Simbarashe Mapfumo with criminal trespass.