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Some of the Chingwizi Camp dwellers form a human chain while being led by police into the Chiredzi Magistrates’ Court yesterday. – (Picture by George Maponga)

George Maponga Masvingo Bureau
At least 29 Chingwizi Camp dwellers appeared before a Chiredzi magistrate facing charges of public violence after they allegedly torched two police vehicles before forcibly taking two guns from fleeing officers at the camp in Mwenezi last Friday. Patrick Changwesha and 28 others, together with some accused still at large, allegedly attacked police officers on duty at the camp for Tokwe-Mukosi flood victims with stones and other objects, forcing them to flee for their lives.

They were protesting against plans by the Government to relocate a clinic from the camp to permanent plots about 11 kilometres away.
Chiredzi magistrate Mr Tawengwa Chibanda remanded all the accused in custody to today.

Mr Chibanda will make a ruling on the accused persons’ application not to be placed on remand after they argued that they were not properly brought before the courts as their constitutional rights were violated during arrest.

The accused, comprising 20 males and nine females, through their lawyers Messrs Philip Shumba, Blessing Nyamaropa, Collins Maboke and Martin Mureri of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights alleged that their constitutional rights were violated when police assaulted.

They alleged that they were denied food by the police and suffered inhuman and degrading treatment at the police station.
Prosecutor Mr Liberty Hove opposed the application, arguing that police performed their job diligently and never ill-treated them.

He called one of the investigating officers Detective Assistant Inspector Victor Chinoni who told the court that the accused were never denied food or assaulted after their arrest.

Det Asst Insp Chinoni said the accused were cooking up allegations against the police.
Mr Hove said on August 1, a team of 39 police officers were on duty at Chingwizi to ensure the safe movement of a clinic from the camp to a new site identified by Government.

The police officers then accompanied a team of health officials to a meeting with the flood victims, including the 29, to inform them about plans to move the clinic to a new site.

It is alleged that the flood victims initially agreed to the idea, but as health workers were moving tents and clinic equipment into the trucks, they became violent.

They allegedly started throwing stones and missiles at the police and managed to overcome them.
The police officers fled and two of them fell down and dropped their guns, which were taken by the accused. The officers left two Defender vehicles and the camp dwellers set them on fire, including one of the guns.

Police returned to the camp the following day with reinforcements and recovered the remains of the burnt G:3 rifle. A tear gas canister launcher was also recovered.

The total value of property destroyed was US$130 000.
The accused were arrested after they were positively identified by police officers and health workers who were stationed at the camp.