H Metro

Two nabbed for assault

- Mathew Masinge

POLICE in Mutare have arrested two suspects for allegedly attacking Neighbourh­ood Watch Committee members during a public spat.

The two, Stanely Chifamata (26) and Aaron Samusodza (27), where recorded in a video that went viral when they attacked the two members before pushing them into a The incident, which occurred under the watch of residents in Chikanga, has been condemned by the police.

In a post, the police said:

“The ZRP confirms the arrest of two suspects, Stanely Chifamata (26) and Aaron Samusodza (27), in connection with the assault on two Neighbourh­ood Watch Committee (NWC) members in Chikanga, Mutare on February 2.

“The incident went viral on social media platforms on February 8,” said the police.

The police also allege that the two suspects had challenged authority of the two NWC members.

“It is alleged that the suspects challenged the complainan­ts resulting in the scuffle which ended up involving members of the public. More details to follow,” reads the statement.

In the video that has gone viral, the officers are attacked and they try to retaliate whilst the crowd is cheering the attackers.

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Republic Police arrested 6 953 people on Monday and Tuesday for violating Covid-19 regulation­s, with 2 012 being nabbed for failing to wear masks.

A total of 410 497 people have so far been arrested since March 30 last year for infringing national lockdown measures, mostly for violating movement restrictio­ns and failure to wear face masks.

The law enforcemen­t agents say they will continue to enforce strict lockdown measures, warning those who will be caught on the wrong side that they will face the full wrath of the law.

Pretoria — Police have arrested a 25-yearold woman for the alleged murder of two girls whose burnt bodies were discovered in an abandoned building in Atteridgev­ille.

The woman whom police believe to be the mother of the two siblings aged 5 and 8, was arrested at the Stadium Plaza shopping centre in Atteridgev­ille after the authoritie­s were alerted to the bodies in a building in extension 7 on Friday.

Gauteng police commission­er, lieutenant-general Elias Mawela welcomed the swift unravellin­g of the alleged double murder, especially considerin­g that the bodies were burnt beyond recognitio­n at the time of discovery and there was little to no informatio­n on the circumstan­ces surroundin­g their gruesome deaths.

Mawela said following the discovery a priority investigat­ion unfolded owing to the fact that this was a brutal crime committed against minors and within about two days police had valuable informatio­n that assisted in determinin­g that the deceased were siblings leading to the arrest.

It was also due to the investigat­ions that he said it was deduced that the two children were in fact siblings with the woman confirmed as the children’s mother.

Mawela said following the arrest the woman appeared in the Atteridgev­ille magistrate­s court on Tuesday on a charge of murder.

The community of Atteridgev­ille was left reeling following the gruesome discovery with many being uncertain as to how the bodies came to be there.

However Johannes Ramaphakel­a one of the residents who alerted police to the scene and resides next door to the abandoned building said he was told to check things out by a taxi driver who informed him they had seen a person wearing dark clothing and covering their face going in and out of the building.

The case has been remanded to February 15 with the mother to remain in custody. —

 ??  ?? JOHANNES Ramaphakel­a discovered the bodies of two children in this abandoned building in Atteridgev­ille.
JOHANNES Ramaphakel­a discovered the bodies of two children in this abandoned building in Atteridgev­ille.

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