Three members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) special constabulary allegedly fatally assaulted a suspect to death inside holding cells at Banket Police Station.
NewZimbabwe.com reported sources as saying that the three ZRP Neighbourhood Watch Committee (NWC) members in question took turns to beat up David Kanyenze (26) on Friday last week using unidentified objects.
One of the constabularies allegedly stomped the suspect twice on the neck, thereby choking him.
The now-deceased’s older brother, Brian Kanyenze, expressed anger and grief over his sibling’s death. He said:
I am deeply hurt. Even if he was a vagabond, he didn’t deserve to die in this manner. He was young, aged only 26, and at that age to err is expected he could have gone to jail for his offense and come out a reformed person.
As relatives, we were never informed about our brother’s arrest, assault and later admission to hospital.
We demand justice against the killers because we are fully aware of attempts to cover up the murder.
The now deceased was a tout for pirate taxis plying the Banket—Chinhoyi route.
It is said that he was wanted by police for malicious damage to property after allegedly destroying a weighing scale at a butchery at Kuwadzana shopping centre in Banket.
The butchery equipment was damaged more than three weeks ago in an altercation between workers at an adjacent canteen and Kanyenze.
Kanyenze had allegedly refused to pay for food complaining it was poorly cooked.
He was subsequently arrested and taken to Banket Police Station where he was thrown into cells but later escaped from lawful custody.
Kanyeze was rearrested on Friday last week at Kuwadzana shops by NWC members and, again, taken to the station, where they started beating him up around 5 PM.
After viciously assaulting the victim, the constabularies abandoned him in the cell battling for his life.
Other cell inmates reportedly raised alarm after sensing Kanyenze was having difficulties in breathing.
He was then ferried to Banket District Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Kanyenze’s relatives reportedly blocked the police from opening a sudden death docket (SDD) in a bid to conceal the murder.
His relatives have demanded a full investigation into the suspected gruesome killing.
More: Pindula News