A soldier running a bottle store in Chivi district, Masvingo, assaulted four police officers who were enforcing lockdown regulations after they found him selling alcohol way past the stipulated operational hours.
The cops allegedly got a thorough beating after they tried to get Nicolus Chinoza to close his facility in line with the ongoing lockdown restrictions.
Chinoza, a Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) sergeant based at Inkomo Barracks outside Harare appeared before Chivi magistrate Rutendo Jakati facing assault and resisting lawful arrest charges.
Magistrate Jakati remanded Chinoza out of custody to 30 July for trial.
It is alleged that on 10 July in the evening, police constables only identified as Chidzura, Denya, Velapi, and Muguti were on patrol at Mhandamabwe Business Centre.
They noticed that Chinoza’s bottle store was still operating, in contravention of Covid-19 restrictions which imposed a curfew between 18:30 to 06:00 hours the next morning.
Bottle stores and most businesses are required to close at 15:00 hours.
The court heard the police officers proceeded to the bottle store and found Chinoza in the company of his wife and other patrons.
Chidzura then alerted the military man he was under arrest for breaching the Covid-19 induced lockdown restrictions, but Chinoza became violent.
Chinoza stated that he was a serving member of the ZNA, therefore, he can operate beyond prescribed business hours.
He allegedly charged towards Chidzura and pushed him on the floor ordering him to vacate his premises.
The other three police officers intervened but Chinoza became more violent and used chairs to assault the cops.
The four cops eventually managed to arrest him before detaining him at Mashava Police Station.
More: Pindula News; NewZimbabwe