KWEKWE City Council has petitioned Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri to order the arrest of Kwekwe Central legislator, Masango Matambanadzo (Zanu PF), over a wide range of criminal activities.
Source: Chihuri roped in to arrest Zanu PF MP – NewsDay Zimbabwe January 17, 2017
BY BLESSED MHLANGA
On January 5 this year, council lawyer, Valentine Mutatu, wrote to Chihuri, requesting his intervention after it seemed that Kwekwe police were reluctant to arrest the Zanu PF legislator despite numerous reports.
“We have instructions that our client (Kwekwe City Council) made criminal reports against Matambanadzo on a number of occasions. In addition there are other criminal acts that he committed in the presence of the police,” part of the letter read.
“To our client’s knowledge, no action has been taken against him in terms of our criminal law. We must hasten to state that it appears to our client that Matambanadzo in your eyes is above the law.”
Council accuses Matambanadzo of criminally meddling in its affairs.
According to the letter, sometime in September last year, the MP allegedly teamed up with Zanu PF youths and stormed Kwekwe Town House, where they held town clerk, Emmanuel Musara, hostage for two hours.
“A report was made and the police reacted swiftly. However, they did not arrest him, as he told them that they did not have the power to stop him and his delegation from doing anything legal or illegal,” the letter said.
Last month, Matambanadzo illegally opened a council-built long-distance bus terminus in the city, long before it was ready for use.
The legislator allegedly allowed bus operators to use the facility free of charge.
Council lawyers said a report was made under CR 73/12/16, but the police did not act.
Council asked Chihuri to look into the matters, because they believe Matambanadzo should be charged with undermining police authority, holding an illegal march, malicious damage to property and behaving in a manner likely to breach the peace.
But Matambanadzo’s lawyer, Liberty Mashanyare, dismissed the council’s move as “primitive”.
“Every report does not result in an arrest, there must reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed before any arrest. Merely reporting a suspected offence does not mean an arrest should follow,” he said.
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