Chronicle (Zimbabwe)

COUNCILLOR CRIES FOUL ‘Horny’ cop busted in rape attempt

- Nqobile Tshili Chronicle Reporter Sharon Buwerimwe Court Reporter

THE only Zanu-PF councillor in Bulawayo, Cde Kidwell Mujuru has alleged his MDC Alliance counterpar­ts were victimisin­g him on political grounds after they removed him from the city’s business and investment committee.

Cde Mujuru has since written a letter of complaint to Bulawayo Mayor Cllr Solomon Mguni.

In the letter dated October 7, Cde Mujuru alleges that a clique of councillor­s does not want him to serve Bulawayo although a council resolution endorsed his selection to the committee.

“I’m aware that a group of councillor­s from your party (MDC Alliance) do not want me to serve the people of Bulawayo in the Business Committee just because I am from Zanu-PF party. The same members moved and seconded each other to remove me from the Business and Committee by purporting to ‘correct the minutes’ of the meeting of the 4th of September 2019.

“Your worship the so-called correction of minutes has the effect of rescission or alteration of a council resolution without following the ground rules set out in Section 89 (1) of the Urban Councils Act,” reads Cllr Mujuru’s letter.

He said the rescission or alteration process was null and void as it did not follow council procedures.

Cllr Mujuru said he did not recognise the councillor­s’ decision to remove him from the committee.

“Your worship, I am aware that you are a trained profession­al lawyer with a reputation to protect. May I draw your attention to Section 278 (2) (e) of the Constituti­on of Zimbabwe which states that willful violation of the law, including a local authority by-law is a ground of removal of councillor­s from office. It is clear that your council violated the law in your absence. I therefore, request that you put the council back to legality by urgently remedying this defect. I thought I must also advise you that since the whole process is null and void, I will continue to attend and serve in the committee,” said Cllr Mujuru.

Contacted for comment, Cllr Mguni confirmed receiving the letter of complaint.

He said councillor­s convened a meeting to remove Cllr Mujuru in his absence but the matter is receiving urgent attention from council.

“Cllr Mujuru served me with the letter where he registers his complaint about the manner the meeting was conducted where he alleges unfair treatment by councillor­s. The matter is receiving urgent attention. I have requested the Chamber Secretary to give me an opinion on the matter because it appears the complaint is of a legal nature. I cannot tell whether there is any political malice behind the matter,” said Cllr Mguni.

He said council will have to investigat­e alleged victimisat­ion of Cllr Mujuru.

“We don’t discrimina­te each other on the basis of political orientatio­n in council. We are all Bulawayo councillor­s for as long as we are in the chambers. It’s a matter which we will have to investigat­e. We want to build Bulawayo in peace and harmony, but of course guided by the aspiration­s of the people of Bulawayo,” he said. — @nqotshili. A POLICE officer from Bulawayo was allegedly caught red-handed, naked, wearing a condom and trying to rape a 54-year-old teacher after failing to locate his girlfriend whom he had come to visit.

Wesley Shayanewak­o (35) stationed at Nkulumane Police Station allegedly punched the woman and tried to sexually abuse her.

The teacher was, however, rescued by a neighbour who found the cop already wearing a condom, naked.

Shayanewak­o was not asked to plead before Western Commonage magistrate Ms Tancy Dube who remanded him out of custody on free bail to October 22 for commenceme­nt of trial.

Prosecutin­g, Mr Tapiwa Solani said on December 21 last year, at around 7PM, Shayanewak­o went to visit his girlfriend at her home and found the woman seated at a veranda.

He said Shayanewak­o was with a friend and both were dressed in uniform. He demanded sex from the woman and claimed to be ‘horny’ and the woman refused.

“He pushed her down to the floor and tried to remove her pants. Upon realising the accused’s determinat­ion, she grabbed his aroused manhood which had a condom on it and screamed for help,” he said.

“The accused person fled from the scene after a neighbour called Baba Shanty came and asked them what was happening.”

The complainan­t was left holding a condom after the cop quickly dressed up and fled from the scene

Mr Solani said on the following day, the cop met the woman at Coolland Bar and punched her several times after accusing her of spreading lies about him.

He said the complainan­t reported him to the police leading to his arrest. — @ sharonbuwe.

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