CommuTalk Reporter
GWERU police are in soup for allegedly for assaulting a 28-year-old man, Tatenda Kasinyore who later succumbed to wounds supposedly sustained during the battering.
Reasons for the supposed assault remain sketchy as community says he was assaulted for protruding curfew hours.
“We heard Nyale, as the late Kasinyore was affectionately known, crying for help but the plea for help suddenly faded. We couldn’t offer help as it was evident he was in the hands of police. It’s a sad day for the community as whole and as a community, we want answers from the police and justice from the courts,” a resident said.
Concerned residents have since launched an online petition seeking justice for the deceased which says the late was ‘…brutally killed by people whom were supposed to protect him. We want to put an end to police brutality. We want to know what happened to him,” reads the petitions’ introduction.
Midlands police spokesperson Inspector Emanuel Mahoko however directed all questions to national police spokesperson Ass Comm Paul Nyathi who was not immediately available for comment.
A well-placed source within the force however reveals that the police has classified the death as ‘sudden’ while classifying the now late Kasinyore’s crime as ‘disorderly conduct’.
“Police has it that one Inviolata Mukubvu of Mambo (70) notified Monomotapa Police around 0245hrs that the deceased was drunk and throwing stones on her roof. Five cops (names supplied) attended the scene and arrested the deceased.
“The police are said to have searched the deceased and found a sniffing barrel attached to a barrel beaker which had an illicit drug called methamphetamine commonly know as mutoriro. They handcuffed the now late Kasinyore who they said was seemingly violent,” CommuTalk was told.
“The deceased is said to have continued showing violent tendencies having fallen recklessly in some instances during effortless attempts to flee the police. I am also told that at some instance he complained he had been injured due to tightening of handcuffs.
“Upon being uncuffed, it is said he took advantage and ran away headed for Block H Mtapa flats and now his clothes stripped off. Arresting details however still managed to re-arrest him,” the source further told CommuTalk.
The now late Kasinyore reached the police alive where police detained him in open cells with two others, Tendai Magwaza and Tafadzwa Gojo, allowing him to sobber up.
“As it started raining around 0500hrs, the two cell mates dragged him into the shed seeing he felt cold since he was almost naked. Amid efforts to keep him warm, the deceased is said to have started vomiting froth 20 minutes later and was pronounced dead as the ambulance arrived at about 0800hrs,” CommuTalk is further told.
The dead body is also said to have been found with bruises on both hips, a deep cut on the right wrist, a scratch on the leg and bruises under the armpit.
The case is being investigated under ZRP Monomutapa RBB 4607926 and SD 03/21.
Several researches have said the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) are responsible for serious human rights and rule of law violations saying the force has consistently shown contempt for the law, lawyers and judicial authorities.