In a twist of events, the CCC member who was killed in Glenview 7 was reportedly killed after his head was crushed by a lorry carrying members to a rally after ZANU PF youths initiated a violent assault on Thursday in Glen View 7.
The assault reportedly led to the death of Tinashe Chitsunge who was attempting to get onto the back of a slow-moving DAF truck while fleeing a rampaging Zanu PF crowd.
Zimbabwe Republic Police have issued a statement on the violence.
Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said in a statement that they were investigating “an incident of public violence” in Glen Norah’s Riverside neighbourhood, adding:
“One person is confirmed dead as a result of the clashes. The scene is being attended by all relevant police sections.”
In a later update, Nyathi said police had arrested two suspects “on the violence which occurred in Riverside area… as efforts to account for the remaining suspects continue.” He made no mention of murder, amid revelations that the police plan to investigate the incident as a road traffic accident, with those arrested likely to face public violence charges.
According to witnesses on the scene;
“Police also came under attack and they have good information on the instigators of this tragedy,” one resident said.
CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said: “The convenor of the rally reports that CCC booked the venue a week ago. The rally was approved by police. From 6AM today (Thursday), Zanu PF thugs arrived at the venue and started playing music. They barricaded the entrance and refused to leave. They attacked our members. Several were injured.”
A woman who declined to be named told how just after 12PM they arrived at the venue at Tanaka Grounds to find Zanu PF supporters playing football with music blaring from commercial-size speakers.
“We decided to hold back a bit and minutes later Zanu PF supporters emerged from two directions and started throwing stones at us. My neighbour (a woman) was hit on the head. As we were running, I heard that one of our members had been hit on the head with a stone leading to his death,” the woman said.
Lawyers said Chitsunge’s death should still be investigated as murder, even if his death came as a result of accidental contact with the truck.
“The homicide division of the Criminal Investigations Department has the best cops in the land. They’re aware of dolus eventualis. If death resulted from the deceased fleeing from an attack by a political mob, that mob would be criminally liable without a doubt,” said Thabani Mpofu, an advocate in Zimbabwe’s superior courts.
