Villagers flee police backlash in Nyanyadzi, Manicaland

By Tichaona Sibanda
15 January 2008

A ferocious police backlash in Nyanyadzi in Manicaland has forced hundreds of villagers to flee their homes and seek refuge in the nearby mountains, after authorities turned the bustling area into a hunting field.

On Sunday heavily armed police were sent to the business centre, 80km south of Chimanimani, to flush out suspected culprits responsible for the death of CID Detective Sergeant Robert Katini. He was stoned to death last week by a mob, after he killed an illegal diamond dealer.

The business centre and the surrounding areas have been cordoned off and all shops were closed Monday. The area is deserted and police seem to have imposed a curfew, according to witnesses.

The late Katini and fellow Detective Assistant Inspector Gondo, both from the CID minerals Section, were in Nyanyadzi to arrest illegal diamond dealers under an operation code-named ‘Tshuma Igolide’ when the incident happened.

On the day the two detectives — who were travelling in an unmarked police Mitsubishi Triton — went to the business centre in the company of two informers, pretending to be prospective buyers.

It’s reported that Hardlife Jambayo of Dirikwe Village under Chief Muusha in Nyanyadzi, and Silas Munhuta, approached the car and told the occupants that they were selling diamonds. Jambayo and Munhuta then took the two detectives to a room to seal the ‘transaction.’

According to the police the detectives produced their police identification cards and told the suspects that they were under arrest.

A fight broke out and the detectives came under attack. Katini produced his pistol and is said to have fired warning shots into the air to scare away the suspects. This only aggravated the situation as some of the suspected illegal dealers who were at the business centre joined in and attacked the policemen with stones.

Det Sgt Katini then shot Jambayo in the stomach and he collapsed and later died. The attackers then stoned Katini who died on the spot.

Police chiefs have now ordered the deployment of over 200 police in riot gear and assisted by dogs. Since Sunday the force has been indiscriminately beating up villagers after vowing to bring to book all those responsible for the death of Katini.
The MDC spokesman for Manicaland, Pishai Muchauraya, said the crackdown has targeted ‘anything seen moving in the area.’

‘Everyone has been caught up in the crackdown, whether you are Zanu-PF, MDC or neutral. They are going for people thought to be harbouring the suspected culprits. The police are going door-to-door and the area now resembles a war zone,’ Muchauraya said.

Muchauraya said they protested on Monday to the senior police officer in the province about the fierce crackdown. Senior Assistant Commissioner Benge promised to look into the issue, but made it clear they would only downsize the scale of their operation after netting the criminals.

‘We are a few months away from a crucial general election and this sort of operation sends the wrong signal to many people in the area. Though it looks a genuine operation, the way its been conducted will be interpreted as political repression because of its indiscriminate nature. They should be following up leads or suspects and not the whole community,’ he said.