HARARE - Three members from Madzibaba Ishamea Mufani’s Johane Masowe Church, who battered police officers and journalists using their shepherd’s crooks, were denied bail yesterday over fears they would endanger public safety.
Harare magistrate Vakayi Chikwekwe remanded Milton Murinda, Dennis Banda and John Mutasa in custody to June 16.
The court could not ascertain the accused persons’ ages or names amid allegations that they were forced by their church leader to burn their national identity cards as part of their church doctrine.
Chikwekwe said: “The three accused are facing a very serious offence which can attract a prison term. None of them possesses national identity cards and their identities are questionable.
“They all proffered wrong addresses which were proved by the police and they tried to flee from the crime scene thereby becoming a threat to the administration of justice if released on bail.”
Prosecutor Michael Reza had opposed bail and urged the courts to remand them in custody because their sect had unfinished business with the police and Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ).
“As members of the apostolic sect, the accused have big issues with the police and ACCZ,” Reza said.
“So bad are the issues that on the day in question, they assaulted everyone who wore shoes or police regalia.
“There is likelihood they will continue assaulting every police officer and everyone who has shoes if released.”
Reza said there was overwhelming evidence linking the trio to the offence.
“Evidence is overwhelming because they were caught committing the
offence, in church robes, at the scene,” Reza said.
“There is video evidence though there is no documentary evidence to show who the accused persons really are because at their church when a person joins, the national identity card is burnt because it is linked to ancestral worship.”
Reza said the accused persons could take flight or interfere with investigations upon release.
“There were in excess of about 200 people on the scene but so far only about 20 have been arrested,” he said. “Police are still investigating. The sect leader is also on the run with police hot on his trail.”
Murinda, Banda and Mutasa told the court that they were of fixed abode and could produce national ID cards at the court’s order.
Allegations against the three arose on May 30 at Budiriro 2 Park, Johanne Masowe Echishanu Madzibaba Ishamea’s sect site.
ACCZ president Johannes Ndanga and a 26-member delegation comprising police and journalists, went to the site to address the congregation over issues of women and child abuse.
Part of the congregants challenged Ndanga to read his speech in Shona claiming they were not conversant with English.
Ndanga then ordered police to arrest one of the congregants who kept interjecting as he read the speech.
Other congregants then began singing an allegedly “violence-inciting song” called Umambo hwepfumo neropa before all male congregants armed with sticks of about one metre long started charging at Ndanga.
Murinda, Banda, Mutasa and others, who are still at large, started throwing stones and assaulting police officers, ZBC journalists Relax Marufu and Tichaona Meza and an ACCZ delegate Langton Muchena. They all sustained serious injuries.
A ZBC truck was damaged on the rear and front windscreen, and a tripod camera stand valued at $1 350 was damaged.