HARARE – Ousted CCC legislator, Munyaradzi Kufahakutizwi has been arrested and taken to court accused of assault and damaging a vehicle belonging to Zanu PF opponent, Pedzisayi Scott Sakupwanya’s campaign team ahead of recent by-elections.
The court heard on Tuesday that the vehicle belongs to Pastors in Action 4ED and had been released towards Sakupwanya’s campaign ahead of last Saturday’s by-elections in which Kufahakutizwi was later banned by ZEC.
It is alleged Kufahakutizwi, ousted from parliament recently at the behest of controversial CCC politician Sengezo Tshabangu, ordered his accomplices – still at large – to destroy the vehicle stating that pastors should stick to the pulpit and not dabble in politics.
For the alleged offence, Kufahakutizwi appeared before Harare magistrate Esther Chichera who released him on free bail.
The former lawmaker will be back in court on January 23 for his routine remand.
According to court papers, the complainant in the case is Patrick Chiremba who authorised the release of the vehicle to be used for the campaigns.
The offence was allegedly committed on November 21 this year.
It is alleged Chiremba authorised one Douglas Matadi, the National Administration Officer for Pastors in Action 4ED to use his Toyota Hiace, registration number ADC 9140 to campaign for the 9 December 2023 by-elections for Sakupwanya, who was Zanu PF candidate for the Mabvuku-Tafara constituency.
It is alleged that while Matadi and his colleagues were parked at Kamunhu Shopping Centre, in Mabvuku, Kufahakutizwi and his accomplices approached the complainant while aboard a yellow and black Toyota Baby Quantum and blocked the vehicle’s path.
“Unknown four male adults disembarked from the accused’s vehicle and force opened the complainant’s vehicle doors and demanded to see one Morgan Mupfurutsa,” said the state.
“The accused who was seated at the back of the Toyota Hiace, instructed his accomplices to destroy the complainant’s vehicle uttering in vernacular language that “aya mapastors for ED ngavazive zvevhangeri chete, pwanyai mota iyoyo.”
In the assault allegation, the complainant is one Michael Nyasulu, aged 35.
According to court papers, on 18 November 2023 at around 2PM at a house in Mabvuku, there was a funeral opposite Nyasulu’s home.
There was a crowd of mourners who had gathered and some of them seated in the garden and damaging the plants.
Nyasulu allegedly asked the mourners to move away from his garden and an altercation arose.
He later went to a beer hall nearby and when he returned to his home, an unknown person who was part of the mourners allegedly noticed that Nyasulu was wearing a Zanu PF cap.
“The accused person (Kufahakutizwi) then approached the complainant and grabbed him by the collar and assaulted him with clenched fists alleging that he had thrown stones at the mourners,” the court heard.
“The complainant then ran away and was rescued by his brother William Nyasulu. The complainant then went to ZRP Mabvuku and made his report.”
