\n<\/p>\n
Duo Assaulted, One \u201cMissing\u201d During Chaotic Scenes at CAB3 Hearing in Chitungwiza; Police Accused of Inaction<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
By Own Correspondent | CHITUNGWIZA \u2014 In a violent escalation during public hearings on the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3) over the weekend, two men were severely beaten, and a third is allegedly missing\u2014presumed abducted\u2014after they voiced opposition to the proposed legislation at the Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex.<\/p>\n
The incident, which unfolded in broad daylight, has left victims nursing cracked ribs and leg injuries, while raising serious questions about the conduct of political operatives and the responsiveness of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP).<\/p>\n
According to witnesses who spoke to this publication, the violence erupted when a speaker at the hearing voiced dissent against the bill. The two victims, who were in attendance, were visibly supporting the speaker when they were confronted from behind by two unidentified men.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were told to stop cheering or supporting the speaker who had said no to the constitutional amendment bill,\u201d one of the assaulted men recounted from his home, where he is now bedridden. \u201cWe told them that we were following the trend because when a speaker said yes, there were loud cheers too, but no one was threatening those doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moments later, the situation deteriorated rapidly. Witnesses described how the speaker who had spoken against the bill was forcibly seized by three men and removed from the venue.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the speaker who had said no was forcefully taken by three men from the venue, we witnessed him being hit by a hard object on his chest, and he looked like he started vomiting blood,\u201d the witness said. \u201cWe saw that he became weak, and they were taking him outside the venue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Concerned for their colleague\u2019s safety, the two men followed the group at a distance. The abduction continued along a route toward the Town Centre, with four additional men joining the initial trio.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt became evident that they were abducting our colleague,\u201d the witness said. <\/p>\n
They noticed two parked vehicles with no number plates\u2014a Ford Raptor and a Toyota Fortuner\u2014waiting nearby. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe two cars already had drivers inside,\u201d said one of the victims.<\/p>\n
Attempting to intervene, the two men picked up stones and threw them at the assailants. However, the move backfired. The abductors abandoned their initial target and turned on the pursuers.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy colleague was not so fast, and they caught up with him and started beating him up. I fell down and dropped my phone in the process but managed to get it back,\u201d the witness said. \u201cWe were then beaten up, and they asked why we were following them and our colleague, as if we knew why they had beaten him up and were abducting him.\u201d<\/p>\n
The assault only ceased when a crowd gathered to witness the commotion, allowing the two victims to flee. They sought refuge in a bushy area behind the United Family International Church (UFIC), pastored by Emmanuel Makandiwa.<\/p>\n
\u201cI managed to make a few phone calls to tell our colleagues of our ordeal before my phone went off,\u201d the witness said. \u201cWe then waited an estimated 30 minutes before we went back to the road and started looking for transport to go home. But to date, we do not know the whereabouts of our colleague who raised the point at the hearing that was against the bill.\u201d<\/p>\n
The two men sustained significant injuries. One victim suffered injuries to his legs and hip, while the second\u2014a builder by trade\u2014sustained two cracked ribs and leg injuries.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is struggling to even walk,\u201d a source close to the victims said. \u201cHe is a builder whose livelihood has been affected by his condition. He can no longer fend for his family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Police Response Under Scrutiny<\/p>\n
Following the attack, a group of colleagues went to the Town Centre police post to file a report. However, they claim officers were reluctant to assist.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo docket was opened,\u201d one of the individuals who attempted to report t matter said. \u201cWe were instead told to go and report the matter at Chikwanha police post. The officers were visibly reluctant to open a docket for us. Neither did they heed our report that a colleague had been abducted. They just scribbled something in a book which looked like a grade 3 exercise book.\u201d<\/p>\n
As of the time of publication, the whereabouts of the speaker who opposed the bill remain unknown. <\/p>\n
The ZRP national spokesperson Paul Nyathi was still to comment regarding the alleged abduction and the refusal by police to open a docket.<\/p>\n
Background: The Bill<\/p>\n
The Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3) has been a source of intense national debate. Critics argue that the bill seeks to entrench the ruling party\u2019s power by extending the tenure of the President and other key officials, altering the governance structure to eliminate the prime ministerial position in favor of an executive vice presidency, and potentially interfering with the independence of the judiciary.<\/p>\n
Proponents of the bill argue that it seeks to streamline government functions and correct anomalies in the current constitution. The public hearing at the Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex was intended to gather citizen input on the controversial amendments.<\/p>\n
With one man allegedly missing and the injured victims unable to work, it remains to be seen if there will be immediate investigation into the violence and the police\u2019s handling of the matter.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
<\/p><\/div>\n
\n