Tinashe Sambiri|Prominent journalist Batsiranai Ngugama, who is also a teacher at Serima High School has described the persecution he was subjected to by overzealous police officers as sad and unfortunate.

Ngugama was arrested in Gutu on Sunday after challenging police brutality. A ZRP cop based at Stephen Business Centre insulted and assaulted Misheck Tavuya, a teacher at Serima High School prompting Ngugama to challenge police barbarism.

Below is Ngugama’s full statement:

It’s true. A police officer named Mirasi assaulted Mr Misheck Tavuya over a packet of chips on Saturday during the curfew.

When Tavuya approached another officer Murimi at Steven Base, he did not take action.

Tavuya approached me on Sunday morning and told me the story. I phoned the Officer Cst Murimi asking if he had assisted Tavuya. I told him I was a journalist and just wanted to here if he was going to arrested his fellow workmate who was in company of a girlfriend during the time of incident.

Cst Murimi then threatened me not to write or take anything he said. I told him I was professional and knew protocol.

“Handingakudzingisiyi basa. Kana ndichida comment I will phone Press at Province” I said.

The officer then changed my statement and said I had said ‘ndichamudzingisa basa’.

He boasted that he had framed a lot of cases and won then in court and was going to fix me heavily.

He handcuffed me. At the station, I was exposed to a litany of abuse and assault.

They were attempts to bribe the assaulted teacher, but I feared not.
My point was why breaking curfew and assaulting and failure to arrest another police officer.

Ngugama B.