Chinese nationals beat up Zimbabwean police

Two police officers were severely assaulted by Chinese nationals at a local hotel that is under construction close to the National Sport Stadium along Bulawayo road earlier this week as the Chinese continue to act above the law, Radio VOP learnt Thursday.

The police officers had gone to the construction site to investigate a case of assault that had been reported by a Zimbabwean national, Langford Sibindi, at Marimba Police Station and when they were making their investigations they were confronted by scores of Chinese nationals who began to beat them up.

According to the workers one Chinese national severely beat up the Zimbabwean guy using clenched fists and martial arts resulting in the employee falling to the ground bleeding heavily.

“The Chinese boss accused Langford of being lazy and he started beating him up heavily using clenched fists. We had to do nothing and he only left him after he started bleeding heavily. After the beating he left the area and that’s when we assisted him,” said one employee who did not want to be named.

“He then went to the police station to report and only to come back with the officers who were also beaten up by the other Chinese guys who used martial arts to beat them. They had to flee heading towards Bulawayo road.”

The Hotel under construction has been marred with controversy with Environment and Natural Resources Management Minister Francis Nhema and the Environment Management Authority (EMA) disputing the area saying that it was a wetland thus deeming it unfit for construction. They later agreed to the construction but the move was denounced by environmentalists.

When he was reached for a comment, Harare province Spokesperson, Tadius Chibanda said: “I haven’t received such reports I will have to check first.”

Cases of Chinese brutality at workplaces have been on the increase and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara once called parliament to act over the matter. The Chinese have strong ties with Zanu (PF) and are heavily safeguarded by the state.

The Chinese have been constructing major construction sites in the country which include the multi-million dollar national defence college, the expansion of the Victoria Falls hotel among others. The Chinese also have massive interests in the mining sector especially in diamonds. Radio VOP