HARARE - Homicide detectives have been accused of shooting to death three people they had brutally tortured to prevent them from testifying in court about the alleged involvement of former Zimbabwean diplomat, Christopher Mutsvangwa The allegations are to be made in court in a civil case filed by Saliwe Nduna, widow of Costa Matete, one of the dead. Nduna, who is suing police commissioner-general, Augustine Chihuri, and the co-ministers of home affairs, alleges that her husband was killed by detectives to hide evidence of an illegal diamond deal involving Mutsvangwa. The deal went awry. According to highly-placed government and legal sources familiar with the case, Mutsvangwa was given diamonds by Matete and several of his colleagues and he promised to pay for them later.
However, when the payment failed to materialize on the promised date, Matete and several others seized US$50 000 in cash, a television set and a satellite phone in the presence of Mutsvangwa’s wife Monica.
Mutsvangwa later reported that his wife had been robbed at their Highlands home. Detectives are said to have taken Matete and two others to Granville cemetery on the outskirts of Harare on the orders of Mutsvangwa, where they severely tortured them. After that, the suspects were shot, resulting in their deaths on arrival at the hospital. Apparently, Mutsvangwa is not a respondent in the civil matter, but could be called in if it is proved he influenced detectives to take drastic measures against Matete and his colleagues. Mutsvangwa could not be reached for comment. Mutsvangwa was the Zimbabwean ambassador to China before he was recalled last year amid several murky deals.
Post published in: News