By Farai D Hove | Norton, Zimbabwe– A Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) officer has sparked outrage and fear in the town of Norton, with numerous allegations of inappropriate conduct and physical assaults on women and children. The officer, identified as Norest Shirikadzi, has reportedly been abusing his position and terrorizing the local community.
In a heart-wrenching interview cited by Zimbolive, a local woman is quoted saying the persistent harassment that residents have been facing. “We have a problem in our neighborhood that has been happening for a long time,” she said. “Norest Shirikadzi, a soldier, abuses women when he is drunk. When he is not drunk, he is okay, but once he gets drunk, he starts attacking women. We are now getting used to staying indoors in fear because he touches women anywhere he wants. The other time, he assaulted an elderly woman. He entered her property and assaulted her. When asked why he was doing this, he said, ‘I am a gunner. There is nothing you can do to me.'”
Despite attempts to seek justice, the complainant noted that local police have been unhelpful, allegedly stating that Shirikadzi can only be prosecuted by the military. “The matter just disappeared just like that,” she continued. “Soon after that, he told us that tomorrow a big truck of soldiers is going to come after you because you have offended soldiers. We spent the whole week in fear because of this man’s threats.”
The violence escalated when Shirikadzi assaulted a child who had reported to a neighbor that the soldier had inappropriately touched his wife. “The soldier went to the child and assaulted him with a metal rod, causing injuries that required stitches. This happened on the 5th of May, and up to this date, no one has been arrested,” the woman recounted.
Just days ago, Shirikadzi reportedly targeted a group of women, including a pregnant woman, while they were at home. When the pregnant woman protested, he allegedly began assaulting her, kicking her with his boots. Despite multiple reports to the police, no action has been taken against Shirikadzi.
“This man abuses the whole neighborhood,” the woman pleaded. “He touches women inappropriately and then announces that he is a gunner. We are troubled, we are troubled. We have suffered.”
The Norton community remains in fear and is calling for urgent intervention to address the soldier’s actions and ensure their safety. Local authorities and the military have yet to respond to the allegations publicly.