A senior police officer was reportedly left for dead, when apostolic sect members turned violent at the weekend, after an ill-fated attempt to rescue a church leader, who had been allegedly kidnapped in Madziwa.
BY RICHARD CHIDZA
The Mashonaland Central-based Vadzidzi VaJesu Apostolic Church founder and patriarch, 94-year-old Aaron Mhukuta, also known as Mudzidzi Wimbo, was reportedly being held against his will and that of his family by church zealots, who have allegedly been making money out of him for over a year now.
One of his sons, identified as Gadjwet (Gomo) Mhukuta reportedly suffered serious injuries after he tried to rescue his father at the weekend.
Gadgjwet is a police chief superintendent.
“He tried to rescue our father, but was severely beaten after rogue church members turned violent. They also assaulted our mother and two sisters,” another of Wimbo’s sons, a professor of immunology, Exnevia Gomo, told NewsDay yesterday.
Exnevia said at least five of the culprits had been arrested.
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“They appeared at Bindura Magistrates’ Courts today (yesterday). But we are appealing to authorities to help us rescue our father. “From what we gather, he now has difficulty in walking and can hardly eat,” he said.
Exnevia said the family was scared about what he called “the presence of military personnel”.
“For us, as a family, we are even more worried because there is visible presence of men in military uniform, who are seen openly interacting with the violent people, who are holding our father hostage and have been doing so for over a year now. At the weekend, when the latest incident took place, even senior police officers also visited the shrine, but could not rescue our father,” he said.
Police spokesperson, Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed the incident, but said she was still to get details.
“I can confirm the incident, but at the moment, I do not have details,” he said.
Mashonaland Central police spokesperson, Inspector Milton Mundembe referred questions to his assistant, Inspector Petros Masikati. Contacted for comment, Masikati could neither deny nor confirm the incident.
“I am in Mt Darwin at the moment and I cannot say much. I need to be in the office and I can only comment, maybe, on Friday or Monday, get in touch with me then,” he said.
