Livingstone
Mtetwa
CHIPINGE- Election Makaripe of Tama Village under Chief
Chamutsa, Buhera was recently dragged to Chipinge Magistrate’s court facing
charges of kidnapping a traffic police officer at a roadblock near Birchenough
Bridge.
Makaripe also
faced charges of curfew violation, resisting arrest and driving without a
license.
He pleaded
guilty to all the charges and was remanded in custody to April 30, 2021 when he
appeared before magistrate Poterai Gwezhira.
It was the
State’s case as presented by Timothy Katsande that on February 25, 2021 at around
2130 hours, Makaripe was stopped by the police at 125km peg Mutare-Masvingo
highway, Birchenough Bridge, driving a white twin cab Ford Ranger and failed to
produce a driver’s license.
Sergeant
Macdonald Makani ordered the accused to drive to the police post being escorted
by the complainant Constable Creamson Chakataika.
The accused is
said to have sped off heading towards Masvingo and the complainant tried to
stop him in vain.
He then drove to
a secluded place at Birchenough Bridge Business Centre where he stopped and
disembarked.
Chakataika got
hold of his hand and tried to handcuff him but he wrestled and got away.
Makaripe then
armed himself with a tyre lever and threatened to strike the complainant before
running off into the dark.
He was
re-arrested two days later at Birchenough Bridge Business Centre
