…Warrant of arrest issued
Beatific Gumbwanda
CHIREDZI – Incumbent Chiredzi West legislator Darlington Chiwa who broke ranks with his party Zanu PF after he defied the directive against contesting as an independent candidate claims that a warrant of arrest was issued against him a day before nomination court to detain him for a case which was supposedly closed in 2014.
In 2013, before Chiwa was elected Zanu PF legislator for Chiredzi West, he was supposed to stand as a witness in a criminal case over a stolen tractor trailer from Tongaat Huletts Zimbabwe.
It is alleged that the tractor trailer was sold to someone who was close to Chiwa who then sought shelter of the stolen property at Chiwa’s residence in Triangle. Chiwa failed to turn up to court on the day saying he was not served with summons to attend the court hearing.
Chiwa claims that the case was re-opened and a warrant of arrest was issued against him a day before nomination court aimed at stopping him from filing his papers with the nomination court.
“A warrant of arrest was issued a day before nomination court on the pretext that I defaulted to attend court as a witness. The said case was closed in 2014. It was a desperate strategy to bar me from attending the nomination court.
“I learnt of the warrant whilst at nomination court when Comrade Ndava confessed that some officers were being charged for not arresting and detaining me. It was the plan to have me detained until the nomination court is over.
“However the local CID officers are resisting the execution of the warrant and they have asked me to take them to Masvingo on a day when I will not be occupied so that they can verify,” said Chiwa.
Zanu PF Masvingo provincial secretary for information, Ronald Ndava, rubbished the claims and indicated that Chiwa was not a threat to them and they don’t believe in dirty tricks other than defeating someone on a free and fair election.
“Those are just speculations my brother. As Zanu PF we have a history of winning elections and Chiwa isn’t a threat to us. We don’t even believe on dirty tricks,” said Ndava.
Chiwa decided to stand as an independent candidate after a disputed primary election which was won by Farai Musikavanhu.top news
