Glen View residents in self-imposed curfew

supporters, residents are now on self-imposed curfew.
A visit to the area yesterday revealed that its business is as usual during the day but at night most people will not move around the suburb.
Several people could be seen selling their wares at the shopping centre while others were drinking beer.
There were no police officers in the afternoon as the situation was calm with most people conducting their business as usual.
Some of the shop owners refused to comment fearing victimisation although some say they were now closing their businesses at around 6pm and 7pm.
Some of the MDC-T activists who participated in the murder case have since disappeared and are no longer staying at their homes evading police arrests.
However, it is reported that police patrols have been increased in the area especially during the night.
“Ha-a kuno chakachaya mudhara. Most people who sell near and at the shopping centre prefer to pack their wares around 5pm before going home while some of the nightclubs close before midnight or before 8pm,” said one of the residents who preferred anonymity for fear of reprisals in the MDC-T dominated area.
He said as a result of this case, people feared that they would be beaten by marauding MDC-T youths as happened to the late Inspector Mutedza.
Munyarari Nightclub where the incident occurred has since been closed as investigations on the case continue.
According to residents in the area, the nightclub is a no go area for anti-MDC people.
“The owner of this bar is an MDC-T activist and no ZANU-PF supporter is allowed into the bar.
“Meetings are held at the bar regularly and that’s the reason why on the day in question they were gathered there,” added another resident.
The day before Inspector Petros Mutedza was murdered; some of the youths were conducting an illegal meeting at Makomva Shopping Centre in Glen View.
They were wearing different MDC-T t-shirts singing and accosting people who were coming to the area for shopping.
The Herald witnessed some of them drinking beer at a nearby bar and there were only few vehicles allowed to enter the shopping centre.
Police however, did not react to the scene as they were not aware of these developments.
Most of the MDC-T’s illegal meetings are held in the suburb especially in nightclubs.
At Glen View 3 shopping centre there are also some youths believed to be from the MDC-T who also illegally sell liquor in a nearby park.
The youths usually go there with cooler boxes containing alcohol that they sell to people.
When drunk most of them are known to be violent and they once declared Glen View was a no go area for people especially Zanu-PF supporters.
By Sunday, six more suspects had been arrested in and around Harare in connection with the murder of Insp Mutedza who was fatally assaulted in the line of duty by suspected MDC-T youths at Glen View 3 Shopping Centre on May 28.
This brings to 18, the number of suspects arrested in connection with the murder case since last week.
Police have since launched a serious manhunt for the other suspects who are still at large.
Sources close to the investigations yesterday said the six were arrested at lodges and hideouts in Harare and Norton.
Police believe the MDC-T leadership is sponsoring some of the suspects – including Robert Manyengavana and Paul Gorekore – to go into hiding in various places outside the city to evade arrest.
Most of the suspects are no longer staying at their respective houses and are believed to be staying in safe houses and lodges outside Harare.
There are also fears that some of the suspects may skip the border only to return when they think that the situation is calm.
Last Friday, Glen View Ward 32 councillor Tungamirirai Madzokera (MDC-T) and 11 other suspects, accused of fatally assaulting Insp Kutedza, appeared in court charged with murder.
The 12 are accused of killing Insp Mutedza when he tried to disperse their unsanctioned rally.
Madzokera (36), Yvonne Musarurwa (24), Rebecca Mafukeni (27), Last Tamai Maengahama (42), Stanford (27) and Lazarus Maengahama (35), Gabriel Shumba (28), Phenias Nhatarikwa (45), Stefani Takaidzwa (33), Stanford Mangwiro (28), Cynthia Fungai Manjoro (26) and Linda Musiyamhanje (28) were not formally charged when they appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Shane Kubonera.
Musarurwa is MDC-T vice secretary for youth in Budiriro District while Mafukeni is the party’s vice secretary for Harare Province.
Last Tamai Maengahama is an MDC-T national executive member.
The 12, who were represented by lawyers – Mr Charles Kwaramba, Mr Marufu Mandevere and Mr Gift Mtisi – were remanded in custody to June 17.
Mr Kwaramba gave notice that he would challenge his client’s placement on remand on or before the next remand date.
Mr Kubonera ordered the Attorney-General’s Office to investigate claims of torture while in police custody made by the suspects and table a report before the court on or before the next remand date.
The magistrate also ordered Zimbabwe Prisons Services to ensure that Government medical doctors examine the suspects.
Mr Kwaramba had submitted that his clients were tortured and denied access to their lawyers.
Insp Mutedza was stationed at Borrowdale Police Station and attached to the police Reaction Group at the time of his death.
Mr Nyazamba alleged that on May 29 this year, the 12 MDC-T youth members gathered at Glen View 1 Shopping Centre to participate in what they termed “MDC-T t-shirt visibility day” a campaign strategy.
There were about 50 activists, all wearing MDC-T regalia, chanting slogans and singing MDC-T songs. Around 12 noon, on the same day, it is alleged, they marched to Glen View 4 Shopping Centre where they had a braai and had beer.
Police were tipped and went to the scene where they allegedly identified Robert Manyengavana and Paul Gorekore and advised them to disperse as required by the law.
They allegedly complied only to regroup at Glen View 3 Shopping Centre at Munyarari Nite Club owned by former MDC-T Harare Province treasurer.
The Police Provincial Reaction Group was summoned and came with Insp Mutedza leading a team of seven uniformed officers.
Upon their arrival, Insp Mutedza and his five subordinates alighted from the vehicle and asked where the youth leaders were.
They were advised that they were inside the Nite Club.
They approached Manyengavana and Gorekore who are still at large and asked them to disperse their gathering peacefully as it was not sanctioned.
The activists, it is alleged, began denouncing the police, shouting in Shona “Matatya ngaauraiwe” (Kill the frogs).
They allegedly started throwing stones, empty bottles, steel stools and other missiles at the officers.
The outnumbered policemen ran out of the club and Insp Mutedza rushed to a parked white Nissan Hardbody that he mistook as their unmarked police vehicle while others ran to the police vehicle parked a few metres away.
As he tried to open the door to seek refuge he was hit by a brick on the left side of the head and fell down. The marauding youths allegedly followed up and started kicking him with some trampling all over his body until he fell unconscious and bled profusely from the ears, nose and mouth.
Some of the youths jumped into the Nissan truck and sped off while others removed their party regalia in a bid to hide their identity, it is alleged.
Insp Mutedza was pronounced dead on arrival to Harare Hospital.
A post mortem carried out by Dr Gabriel Abvero attributed the cause of death to severe head injuries, a depressed skull and damaged brain due to the assault.