Police officer on duty testifies in CCC trial Chief Magistrate Mrs Faith Mushure noted that State witnesses testified that there was a large quantum of data used by Mamombe and Chimbiri, which proves there was physical interaction between the mobile phones and their users.

Nyore Madzianike 

Senior Court Reporter 

The officer in-charge of a police checkpoint where CCC members Joana Mamombe and Cecelia Chimbiri claimed to have been arrested near the Harare showgrounds in May 2020, last week insisted in court that no arrests were made on that day.

Constable Nashley Muyedzenga also told the court that he never witnessed any police officer disembarking from a car that was trailing Mamombe and Chimbiri to arrest the two, as they claimed to have happened.

He was giving evidence this in the on-going trial of Mamombe and Chimbiri on charges of faking their abductions at the hands of the police.

Cst Muyedzenga told the court that if the police at showgrounds had arrested Mamombe and Chimbiri, they should have taken them to Milton Park police station, not to Harare Central where they claim to have been taken before whisked to a Muchapondwa Growth point in Mashonaland Central province.

“There was no notable incident that occurred on the day in question. We did not arrest any vehicle or any passersby,” he said.

“It was not a busy day and there was low traffic. I did not see them. I cannot deny that they were stopped at the roadblock but there was no police officer who arrested them. There was no such an incident and If I had seen them, I would have told the court,” he said.

Cst Muyedzengi acknowledged that a lawyer visited at the roadblock asking whether Mamombe, Chimbiri and Netsai Marova, who is on the run, were arrested at the roadblock. He told the lawyer that there was no one who had been arrested before directing him to other nearby roadblocks. 

“It is true a lawyer came to roadblock. I cannot remember his name. He produced a practicing certificate but I did not write down his name,” he said.

Cst Muyedzengi testified that the lawyer arrived at the roadblock around 3pm and he treated him like any other citizen making enquiries. He said ‘I am looking for people who were arrested at a roadblock’. We had not arrested anyone and I asked him to go and check at other roadblocks. 

“He was first attended to by Sgt Mashizha from ZNA. The lawyer did not know which roadblock, but he was randomly checking. Accused were never arrested at our roadblock. If they were arrested at our roadblock they would have been taken to Milton Park. It was irregular for them to be taken to Harare Central if they had been arrested at our roadblock,” he said. 

Cst Muyedzengi said he was not aware that the two were abducted and tortured adding that they could have reported a complaint of kidnapping, if that ever happened. The trial is expected to continue on June 10. 

Chief magistrate Mrs Faith Mushure presided while Mr Michael Reza prosecuted.

Mr Alec Muchadehama and Mr Jeremiah Bamu appeared for Mamombe and Chimbiri.

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