By Staff Reporter
A Zimbabwe Republic Police Officer stationed at Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Mwenezi who was on suspension for a murder case was involved in another fatal incident during a high speed chase with armed robbers.
The incident left questions on the accountability within the police force as to how a suspended officer was found in line of duty.
The detective Farai Simudzirai (43) who was suspended in July, 2024 appeared before Masvingo Magistrate Elizabeth Hanzie on March, 24 and was remanded in custody to April 8, 2025 for continuation of trial.
Circumstances are that on March 16, Simudzirai teamed up with one Detective Constable Simbabure who was on duty and went to Lundi Business Centre on surveillance and intelligence gathering despite the former being on suspension.
At around 2330 hours the two reacted to a highway robbery which had occurred at around 2200 hours at a 120km peg along Masvingo-Beitbridge road.
They were using a white Nissan Wingroad that they had been authorized to use. Upon reaching the scene, Simudzirai and Simbabure saw a Mazda B1800 pickup vehicle parked near the scene.
Upon approaching the vehicle, the driver of the vehicle sped off before the two police officers could identify themselves.
Simudzirai and Simbabure chased the vehicle for about 30 km while the former was firing at the Mazda B1800 using a service AK rifle.
As a result, Shadreck Madzore (24) from Runesu Village, Chief Nhema, Zaka was shot with two gun bullets with one of the bullets going through the right side pubic area. The bullet went out through the right side buttock.
The other bullet entered through the left breast and went out through the left shoulder thereby sustaining serious injuries.
Madzore was taken to Rutenga Clinic where he died while preparations were being made for him to be transferred to Neshuro District Hospital in Mwenezi.
In the first case, it was alleged that on April 20, 2024, Simudzirai was at Kutepa Night Club, in Chiedza Karoi drinking beer with Mirirai Chiweza another police officer when he had a misunderstanding with an unknown person leading to a fist fight
Chiweza tried to intervene and took Simudzirai outside of the bar where the latter hit the former with a fist once on the forehead.
The now deceased Privilege Hove, another member of the police force, tried to stop Simudzirai from assaulting Chiweza. Simudzirai produced an okapi knife from his pocket and stabbed Hove on the stomach who sustained injuries.
Hove was rushed to Karoi Hospital by Chiweza and other civilians where he was later transferred to Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital. Hove later died from the injuries sustained leading to Simudzirai’s suspension.
Isabel Pambuka prosecuted.
