By Staff Reporter
Gweru police on Saturday descended at a city’s cemetery where they arrested 76 mourners gathered to bury Tatenda Kasinyore.
Tatenda died at Gweru’s Mutapa Police Station last Saturday after he was brutally assaulted by police who had arrested him for violating Covid-19 regulations.
A post-mortem was carried out on Thursday and the results are yet to be released to the family.
“However, in a surprise turn of events, police rounded up all mourners who were at a cemetery and have detained them,” Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum said.
The Forum lawyers understand that the detention order came from Officer Commanding Midlands Province.
Arresting officers are, however, unsure of what charges to lay against the arrested mourners.
Forum lawyers remain on the ground exerting pressure to secure the release of the arrested people.
Chaos reigned supreme at Gweru’s Mtapa high density suburb on Saturday when aggrieved residents and family members dumped the body of Kasinyore at the police station entrance.
Kasinyore allegedly died on Wednesday after being detained at the police station where he had been arrested for an alleged disorderly conduct following a complaint by a fellow resident that he was being a nuisance and throwing stones at her house.
The residents and relatives are accusing police officers of having assaulted the now deceased when he turned violent while he was trying to resist arrest.
Business was temporarily brought to a halt along Gweru-Matobo Road when residents left the body in the middle of the road close to the police station. The Police had to fire teargas to disperse residents who were gathered outside the police station while some were marching on the streets.
