A member of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) and Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) who provide security for Vice President Kembo Mohadi appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court facing murder allegations after they killed a suspected thief who had stolen scaffolding poles from a house next to the one they were guarding.
Dennis Tafirei Nyathi (32) a Private and Sergeant Stanley Muchimba (32) appeared before magistrate Dennis Mangosi charged with murder.
The duo were remanded in custody to November 15 and advised to apply for bail at the High Court.
Allegations are that on October 28, this year the accused persons received information that Emilington Machinga and the now deceased Blessing Zadzi were involved in the theft of six scaffold poles at number 2823 E.D Mnangagwa Road, Glen Lorne, Harare.
It is alleged that on October 29, the accused persons caught Machinga in the yard they interviewed him and he implicated the now deceased as his accomplice.
The state alleges that on the same date at around 2200hrs the accused persons made a follow up and apprehended the now deceased at Chigayo Inn (Takura Shops).
They allegedly assaulted him using an iron bar whilst his legs were pinned under concrete lifting weights.
The accused persons continued to assault the now deceased with a hose pipe all over his body and made him to roll down a mountain steep slope.
lt is alleged that when they reached the foot of the mountain, the accused persons continued to assault the now deceased and tortured him with hot plastic papers under his feet.
They allegedly took the now deceased to his father who resides in the same neighbourhood, when the father saw the condition of his son he refused to accept him.
Upon noticing that the now deceased was now unconscious, the accused persons carried him and dumped him in a bushy area where he was later found dead.
They will be let go