Soldiers Assault Villagers In Chegutu
Villagers who live near the Jason Ziyaphapha Moyo Airbase in Chegutu claim they were assaulted by soldiers on Tuesday.
The soldiers were reportedly searching for a MuShurugwi (machete gangster) who had assaulted their colleague.
The assaulted villagers reportedly sustained injuries on their faces, heads, legs and hands.
According to a medical report in possession of NewsDay, some of the assault victims received medical attention at Chegutu General Hospital.
Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) spokesperson Squadron leader Donovan Muroyiwa told NewsDay that an investigation had already been launched to establish the truthfulness of the claims.
Villagers told the publication that the soldiers, who were armed with guns and knobkerries, stormed the village around 11 PM.
The soldiers were making inquiries on the whereabouts of a machete gangster who had allegedly fought their colleague.
They allegedly stormed a homestead where villagers were attending a funeral and harassed mourners. Said a villager:
They were beating everyone who professed ignorance of the whereabouts of the alleged gangster.
It was around 11 pm when a loud bang at the door woke me up. At first, I thought they were thieves until I saw soldiers clad in uniform. They accused us of hiding their suspect.
Another villager claimed to have witnessed an altercation between the soldier and the man over a woman earlier in the day. Said the villager:
I saw two truckloads of soldiers, who were dropping off at various homesteads, interrogating and assaulting villagers over the whereabouts of a man who injured a soldier with a knife.
I witnessed the altercation between the soldier and the man. They had a misunderstanding over a woman while drinking beer at a local bar.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said he had not yet received the report.
