Man in court for assaulting police officers

By The Standard | Sep. 29, 2017 | 2 Min read

A 33-YEAR-OLD man appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court yesterday facing allegations of assaulting police officers controlling traffic in the central business district.

BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE

Piyano Simbarashe pleaded not guilty to the charge when he appeared before magistrate Barbara Mateko, who remanded him to September 12 on $50 bail.

Allegations are that on September 23 this year at the corner of Robert Mugabe Road and Inez Terrace, the complainant, Privilege Fadziso Nyongani, was on traffic enforcement duty in the company of a Constable Maugara.

It is alleged Nyongani noticed Simbarashe’s vehicle failing to obey a stop sign and she flagged him to stop. Nyongani allegedly advised him of the offence and Simbarashe said he did not have money to pay a fine and asked her to prepare a docket and so he be taken to court.

Nyongani and Maugara got into Simbarashe’s vehicle and ordered him to drive to Harare Central Police Station. But Simbarashe drove his vehicle to Karigamombe Centre, where he allegedly said he wanted to collect his driver’s licence.

While at Karigamombe Centre, Simbarashe disembarked from the vehicle leaving Maugara and Nyongani inside his locked car. After about 10 minutes, the State alleges, Nyongani saw Simbarashe with a group of people running towards the vehicle shouting that the police could not arrest Simbarashe and would be killed if they took him or his vehicle.

During the commotion, Simbarashe and his alleged accomplices started assaulting Nyongani with open hands several times on the face before snatching her porch bag and stealing $65 collected from other motorists.

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It is alleged Nyongani and Maugara fled from Simbarashe and his accomplices and filed a police report. The State alleges Nyongani suffered pain on the face as a result of the assault but was not medically examined. Idah Maromo appeared for the State.