Correspondent|SIMEONE Chipokoza, a 19 year old Upper 6 student who wrote his final exams recently, today testified before the Commission of Inquiry in Harare and said he was shot in the left leg but “definitely not by soldiers.”

The soldiers ordered all passengers to disembark, and they obeyed.

Giving his evidence, Chipokoza said two soldiers stopped a kombi (commuter omnibus) which he and his mother had boarded to go home. Chipokoza said as they ran back to safety, he felt a sharp pain inside his leg.

When he went to hospital and an x-ray imaging was done, it showed he had a bullet lodged in his left leg

Doctors told him he could only be operated on in February next year, Chipokoza said without clarifying.

Also giving his evidence today, Khuluma Afrika Editor Maynard said one of the people who died close to CopaCabana might have been shot by someone who was in the crowd because at that particular time as there were no soldiers nearby.

Manyowa said the victim was in the middle of a crowd and there were other people behind him.

He said the protesters were MDC supporters because they were chanting Chamisa slogans.

“A group of protesters besieged the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s Results Centre at the Rainbow Towers Hotel in the capital, Harare.

“They protested peacefully and co-operated with police. It was quite an incredible sight, watching protesters pave way for traffic, taking turns with the police to open and close the gate.

“Some 20 minutes later, they left. Some one hour later they returned, with new company. Armed with sticks and stones. This time cars were blocked, police were stoned. A few colleagues and I received a few bricks to the back as we fled.

“The protesters soon left. Although with promises to return with reinforcements. An hour later, the protesters, now clearly in their thousands returned. They erected burning barricades. They tore down Zanu PF campaign posters, which they burnt. They vandalised traffic lights and launched missiles into the Zanu PF Headquarters, located just outside Rainbow Towers.

“Police reacted by launching water cannons. The protesters bricked the muzzle of both trucks, incapacitating them and causing them to flood.

“We will need to get reinforcements. These trucks are no good now”, one officer said to me.

“At this point the protesters had branched out into three different groups. Launching a cow horn formation. Police tried to move into the centre. To protect the ZEC results centre, Zanu PF HQ and ZEC’s Head office.

“They had surrounded the police. They had the upper hand and could sense it. Stones were launched at the human barricade erected by police outside the ZEC Headquarters.

“We maybe minutes away from an Arab Spring here”, a colleague, uttered.

“In the horizon, we could see smoke in all four corners of the city. Harare was burning, and tipping point was near.

“I approached one of the police vans and tried to get an audience with the man who seemed in charge.

“We are overwhelmed. We need assistance.” He said.

“He brushed me off but took to his radio.

“Within minutes, I saw hordes of people fleeing from all directions, and strangely so in all directions.

“Minutes later, I spotted a lone figure, in military camouflage.

“It looks like the army has been deployed.”, I can be heard saying in one of my videos.

“Seconds later I saw a military truck, and about a dozen soldiers holding hand whips.

“Yes, the army has been deployed.”

As the army descended, and people fled, stones and bricks flew in all directions. I positioned myself, with a colleague, just next to the police human barricade.

As the soldiers chased protesters, and stones flew in all directions. There was a loud bang. The soldiers just in front of me crouched briefly, then drew their guns, and fired in the air.

“Are those gun shots.” I asked.

“Yes” a colleague responded.

“I can confirm, shots have been fired. The army has been deployed and shots have been fired.”

“By this time, my city was a war zone. Gun shots. Bricks. Stones. Running battles. And, believe it or not, military helicopters flying low.

“As we turned a corner, I saw a man, wearing a black t-shirt and black pants take two steps, launch into the air and drop like a stone. I knew something had happened. I ran towards him.

When I got there, people said, he is dead.

“No, he is still alive I said.”

“He was gasping for air. One man lifted his shirt. I saw the single gunshot wound. On his chest. His eyes rolled.

“I could tell he had been shot. I didn’t know who shot him. There were no soldiers present when I watched him fall and die.”