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Court Reporter
Two Epworth men who ran over a police officer while fleeing a police roadblock yesterday appeared in court facing murder charges.Gift Musona (23) and Tinashe Kachidza (19) appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Vongai Muchuchuti-Guuriro.The pair was remanded in custody to September 26.
Mrs Guuriro advised the pair to apply for bail at the High Court.
Prosecutor Ms Audrey Chogumaira alleged that on August 18 around 4pm, the late Sergeant Joshua Hwara was manning a roadblock along Robert Mugabe Road near the Vehicle Inspection Department depot.
He was in the company of two other police officers.
Musona was driving a pirate taxi — a white Mazda Bongo registration number ADE 2612 — with Kachidza as the conductor.
The pair was coming from the city centre on their way to Epworth.
When they approached the roadblock, the pair connived to avoid it and drove into McChlery Avenue in Eastlea.
It is alleged Sgt Hwara followed the vehicle and signalled it to stop.
The pair instead accelerated towards the police officer and knocked him down.
They then drove away.
It is alleged they later surrendered the vehicle to its owner but failed to explain the dent on the front of the vehicle.
Sgt Hwata sustained serious head injuries and bled though the nose.
He was rushed to Parirenyatwa Hospital, where he died on admission.
A post-mortem revealed that Sgt Hwata succumbed to insanguition and a ruptured bladder consistent with a traffic accident.
On September 6, investigations led to the arrest of Musona and Kachidza and to the recovery of the vehicle.
Online Reporter