Murehwa Violence: One Arrested For Beating Up Elderly People

Police have arrested one suspect in connection with the alleged political violence in Murehwa depicted in a viral social media video.

Some people can be seen in the video assaulting elderly women and men at a homestead in Murehwa.

Police announced yesterday that they had arrested Never Chimutashu (67) in connection with the investigation.

“The ZRP confirms the arrest of one of the suspects, Never Chimutashu, aged 67, who is expected to appear in court in due course,” said national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi.

“The ZRP is still conducting investigations with a view of accounting other suspects in this case,” he said.

The arrests come after police recently stated that they had taken notice of the video and had begun an investigation.

Over the weekend, Zanu PF Mashonaland East Province distanced itself from the individuals depicted in the alleged political violence video, claiming that the individuals depicted in the video are not members of the party or any known affiliate.

Daniel Garwe, Zanu PF chairperson for Mashonaland East, said in a statement that they had taken note with great concern of a video circulating on social media purportedly showing a group of people physically abusing elderly people in Murewa.

“Apart from the disgusting physical abuse captured in the video, the province is disturbed by allegations that the perpetrators are Zanu PF members acting on behalf of unidentified bosses.

“The province hereby distances itself from the individuals in the viral video. They are neither members of Zanu PF Mashonaland East Province nor any known affiliate and were clearly hired to further nefarious agendas including soiling the image of His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the Second Republic,” said Garwe.

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He said the individuals are not identified anywhere in the video by word or clothing as members of Zanu-PF.

“It is therefore presumptuous, hasty and even sinister to rush to brand them as Zanu PF members given that we are in an election season often fraught with all sorts of chicanery.

“The opposition Citizen Coalition for Change’s propensity to stage-manage ‘political violence’ incidents ahead of elections is well documented and some of their senior officials are currently before the courts for such lies. The possibility that the Murewa incident was also stage-managed to draw negative international attention should not be discounted at this point,” Cde Garwe said.

“As a province, we urge all citizens to wait for accurate pronunciations from the Zimbabwe Republic Police which is currently conducting investigations.”

Garwe said the province remained guided by the consistent call for peace and tolerance by President Mnangagwa.

“The President is on record stating that all Zimbabweans should be vigilant and maintain the stable and peaceful environment that is being fostered under the Second Republic.

“We say no to violence, disunity and unrest and call on the police to speedily bring the perpetrators captured in the video to face the full wrath of the law,” he said.