A POLICE constable attached to the Support Unit Changadzi Sierra Troop is facing attempted murder charges following a shooting incident at Legends Bar in Chikanga, Mutare, where a guzzler was allegedly shot while seated in a car.
Initially, Godfrey Mafukashe (37) of Chikanga 2 had been hauled before a provincial magistrate on charges of defeating the course of justice after the police had alleged that he had been shot while attacking cops who were enforcing Covid-19 lockdown regulations. However, the case has taken a new twist.
Mafukashe, who is out on bail, has since filed an attempted murder charge against Constable Mathew Tichivanhu for allegedly shooting him as he was seated in his friend’s car.
Mafukashe is arguing that he had nothing to do with the fracas that happened at the bar as he was seated in the vehicle when police raided the pub and arrested 27 patrons.
Through his lawyers, Chatsanga and Partners Legal Practitioners, Mafukashe told the Officer Commanding Mutare District Police, Chief Superintendent Mutadza, that his arrest was wrong as he was in fact the victim.
An attempted murder charge was subsequently opened at Chikanga Police Station under CR115/05/21 and the docket has since been referred to CID Mutare for further investigations. In his complaint letter to Chief Superintendent Mutadza, Mafukashe said he was a victim of a police shooting.
“On May 29 at around 9:30pm, our client was at Legends Night Club in Chikanga. He was seated in his friend’s vehicle which was parked outside the night club. Our client was seated on the driver’s seat.
“His friend, Learnmore Mapfumo, was inside the night club watching a football match. A group of police officers arrived at the night club and cordoned it off. They arrested some patrons, including Mapfumo. The cops ordered the arrested patrons to get into their police truck.
“Our client was not arrested as he was seated in the car. Before the police truck left the night club premises, our client’s friend requested to surrender his car keys to our client. One of the police officers in the truck took the car keys and gave them to our client and the police truck drove off to Chikanga Police Station.
“A few police officers remained as there were more patrons at the scene. Our client remained seated in the car. His intention was to later drive to Chikanga Police Station to pay his friend’s fine.
“At that point, there was fracas between a police officer and a patron. This is when our client was shot and injured on the hip. The bullet penetrated and severely damaged his hip bone.
“When he was shot, our client screamed and called out for help. Blood was oozing from the bullet wound. The police officers realised that they had shot and injured him. At that moment all police officers disappeared from the scene.
“Despite the clear observations that our client had been shot and that he was in dire need of medical assistance, the police officers walked away and left him reeling in serious pain and agony.
“A Good Samaritan had to drive our client to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital where he was operated on to remove the bullet from his hip.
“There is a bullet hole on the driver’s door, clearly indicating the bullet’s point of entry,” reads part of the letter.
The motor vehicle involved has since been taken from ZRP Chikanga to ZRP Mutare Central as an exhibit. –
