The case against Madzibaba Ishmael Chokurongerwa (Mufani) charged for ordering his church members to beat up ZRP officers in May last year took a twist yesterday when a po-lice officer contradicted earlier submitted evidence.
A female cop a police constable Chipo Chokuronga speaking at the Harare Magistrates Court, said that a conversation occurred between the Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ) president Johannes Ndanga and the accused church leader shortly before the violence broke forth. This was in direct contradiction with what the same Ndanga had said when he said he never communicated with the accused.
The court was left in stitches when it was passively suggested how the officer could be able to instantly recognise the accused when she did not know him before.
Chironga’s submissions however were in concert with those of the first State witness Stanley Tafireyi,
Tafireyi also submitted that Madzibaba Chokurongerwa was at the shrine on the day of the at-tack.
“When we arrived, Ndanga conversed briefly with Madzibaba Ishmael,” Tafireyi said.
He continued, “When Ndanga started addressing the gathering, someone stood up and said he should address them in Shona because there was no white person present.
“Ndanga then instructed us to arrest the person who had interjected. It was then that Madzibaba Ishmael started singing the song Humambo Hwemapfumo Neropa (Kingdom of the Blood and the Spear) and the other members followed after,” he said.
It is the State’s case that that that is when the church folk then stood up and began assaulting the cops.