ZRP: Freeman Is Currently Being Interviewed By CID Homicide Over Links With Armed Robbery Suspects
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has confirmed that Zimdancehall chanter Energy Chizanga (34) better known as Freeman is currently being interviewed by CID Homicide over his links to armed robbery suspects. In a statement seen by Pindula News, police said:
The ZRP confirms that musician Energy Chizanga (34) aka ”Freeman” is currently being interviewed by CID Homicide in connection with ongoing investigations into criminal allegations and association with armed robbery suspects.
ZRP said more details to be availed in due course.
This comes after pictures emerged in which Freeman posed with Godknows Machingura, a suspected armed robber who was shot dead by detectives during a shootout in Harare recently.
Freeman’s camp said that his involvement with Machingura, who was a music promoter in South Africa, was purely on showbiz business. The musician claims he first knew Machingura in 2017 when he promoted his first show in Durban, South Africa. Freeman insists that just like other local artists, he performed in South Africa courtesy of the late Machingura.
Freeman, through his lawyer Dumisani Mthombeni, was cited as saying he only posted Machingura on his social media platforms as an appreciation after he sponsored one of his music videos “Unobvuma Here”, which features Nox.
Machingura, who was based in Durban, reportedly promoted several musicians from Zimbabwe and had been posting photos with them on his social media platforms.
In 2021 a picture of Freeman and Charles Chirara, one of the three armed robbers gunned down by former detective Joseph Nemaisa during a Chadcombe shoot-out circulated on social media. The shootout occurred soon after the release of Freeman’s album “Robbery”, prompting detectives from the CID Homicide Section to summon him (Freeman) in for questioning to explain his association with the criminals.
Freeman said that he knew Chirara, who he said was his fan and voluntary show bouncer, but didn’t know that he was a robber. In the latest incident, Machingura (44) was allegedly part of a gang of criminals which also included three South African nationals.
In a recent statement, Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said that Machingura and a South African national Jabulani Ngobeni (45) were fatally shot during a shootout with detectives in Arcadia, Harare. Machingura was reportedly in Shamva monitoring the movement of their target before he was lured to Harare where the shootout ensued.
