Lawyers representing police officers in the Cowdray Park women abuse incident fear for their lives. According to Senior journalist Zenzele Ndebele the lawyers, Maclean Mahaso and Nkosiyabo Sibanda of Tanaka Law Chambers said they fear for their lives and cannot proceed with trial under the circumstances.

Lawyers representing dump six Bulawayo police officers who are accused of brutally assaulting two Cowdray Park women, Nokuthula and Ntombizodwa Mpofu have stepped down from the case citing reasons that their personal security is danger if they continue with the case.

The trial was meant to continue with State leading evidence from Ntombizodwa Mpofu.  The accused persons are Simbarashe Bvekwa (26), Tichaona Zariro (34), Patson Gumoreyi (30) Elizabeth Denhere (41), Zibusiso Masuku (27) and Christabel Munyondo, (28) who are all employed by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP).

They are facing two counts of assault each. It is the state’s case that the police officers handcuffed, assaulted, labelled ‘prostitutes‘ and tribally insulted the two women (who are sisters) Ntombizodwa and Nokuthula Mpofu after they had gone to the shops to buy some foodstuffs on April 16.

The two women told them they were coming from buying meat from the butchery. They grabbed them by the hands and hit them with a baton stick several times on their buttocks,

During the process, Ntombizodwa’s cellphone, which was in her back pocket got damaged. She then approached the accused persons to tell them that they had damaged her phone.

The accused persons went on further to take turns to assault the two women on their b#ttocks and hips several times, insulting them with obscenities and degrading them over their tribal affiliations.

The two women were then handcuffed and force marched to the Cowdray Park police base. They were released on April 17 after paying a fine of ZWL$200 each.

Source – Zimbos eXpress