Kidnapping case lands policeman behind bars

Court Reporter
A POLICEMAN has been slapped with a six-year jail term for helping his two friends kidnap their boss’ lover after he instituted investigations that led to the latter’s suspension from work.
Regional magistrate Mr Never Katiyo on Thursday convicted Reginald Mapika (43) of kidnapping.
He sentenced Mapika to eight years behind bars and suspended two on condition of good behaviour.
“Mafia-like gangs are undesirable in our society. (Police) Commissioner-General (Augustine) Chihuri has reiterated again and again that such officers have no room in the police force.
“Accused was supposed to be the protector, but turned a monster. Such officers tarnish the image of the force. He is a very dangerous man.
“We should only read this in the deep waters of the sea where there is no civilisation, not on land where there are human beings who are civilised,” Mr Katiyo ruled.
The cop’s friends — Lingson Saindani and White Phiri — are already serving jail time for the same offence as well as four additional kidnapping charges.
Saindani and Phiri allegedly stole gold concentrate at How Mine where they were employed as supervisors. They demanded that mine chief security officer Washington Mandizha stop investigating the alleged theft.
On July 14 last year, Saindani and Phiri hired Mapika to help them kidnap Mandizha’s lover — Kimberly Nyamukapa — to force an end to the probe.
Mapika went to Nyamukapa’s house in Westgate and introduced himself as a cop investigating an attempted murder case at How Mine.
Nyamukapa said she had already recorded a statement in connection with the case, but she was forced into Mapika’s car, where his accomplices were waiting.
In the car, the four told Nyamukapa to persuade her lover to stop further investigations against Saindani and Phiri and threatened her with death
They gagged her with a cloth soaked in an unknown substance and she lost consciousness after which they drove towards Bulawayo.
She awakened at a roadblock in Kadoma while Mapika was telling police officers that he was escorting a person charged with domestic violence to Bulawayo.
Thereafter, they drugged her whenever she woke up unitl they reached Bulawayo.
The group told her they would kidnap her again if Mandizha continued his investigations.
They dumped Nyamukapa after she had an asthma attack.
A Good Samaritan took her to Mpilo Hospital were she was treated and discharged after which she made a report at Entumbane Police Station before returning to Harare.
Saindani and Phiri subsequently kidnapped her four more times when Mandizha carried on with the investigations.
They also sent her threatening text messages.