Zimdancehall artiste Energy Sylvester Chizanga, popularly known as Freeman, was on Tuesday questioned by police over a picture of himself and one of the three robbers gunned down during the Chadcombe shoot-out started circulating on social media.

Freeman’s association with robbers is too coincidental. The development is not the first time Freeman has been linked to robbers.

5 years ago, he did a music video for Silent Killer, Tendai Musekiwa, a car robber in South Africa, whose arrest was featured on the SABC news channel.

This year, despite explaining they were just fans, Freeman has been linked to the Chadcombe robbers, and his latest song is even titled Armed Robbery. Further coincidence is in that his artwork features one of the robbers.

WHAT MUST FREEMAN DO TO CLEAR HIS REPUTATION AGAINST ARMED ROBBERS?

The circulation of the picture and the shooting of the armed robbers came just a few days after Freeman released his album titled “Robbery”.

In the picture, Freeman was with one of the armed robbers, Charles Chirara, hugging behind a parked car. Chirara was shot dead by former CID detective Joseph Nemaisa.

This prompted detectives from the CID Homicide Section to contact him so that he could clarify the association.

Freeman was summoned at Harare Central Police Station on Tuesday morning where he was questioned and released after a few hours.

Sources close to the investigations said when he was questioned, Freeman revealed that the picture was taken sometime in 2016 and that he personally knew Chirara as a fan and voluntary show bouncer.

Freeman said he was not aware that Chirara, a former soldier who used to attend his live shows and ask for photographs, was an armed robber since he did not inquire much into his fans’ private lives.

The Joina City hitmaker said he only learnt from the media when Chirara was gunned down at Nemaisa’s house.

The picture of Freeman and Chirara that has been circulating has a message which reads,

Freeman HKD Boss is seen with one of the robbers who was shot and killed last week at a house in Chadcombe.

Is it by coincidence that he hangs around with robbers and his album is named Robbery.

The three dead were identified as Brian Koga Tendere (38) of Murehwa, Charles Chirara (30) of Ushewokunze and rogue soldier Tariro Gora of 1 Commando Barracks, Harare.

Those arrested by CID Homicide are former constable Francis Takura (33) and a soldier Private Virimai Nyandoro (37) and the informer, Tanaka Shine Nyamunga (21).

– Herald/additional reporting