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Witnesses give conflicting accounts as Glen View murder trial enters third day
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
June 06, 2012

The High Court trial of the 29 MDC members who are facing fabricated charges of murdering a police officer in Glen View, Harare in May last year entered its third day today with the State's first two witnesses taking the stand.

However, the two witnesses gave conflicting statements during cross examination by both the State and defence lawyers on how the police officer, Petros Mutedza died at Glen View 3 shopping centre.

The State has lined up 20 witnesses to give evidence. The matter is being heard before Justice Chinembiri Bhunu.

The first witness, Clever Chipiya, a Glen View 3 resident said Mutedza died after being hit with a stone on the left side of his head. However, he did not see who threw the stone. He said the stones were coming from different directions on the day Mutedza died just outside Munyarari Bar.

Chipiya said when the incident took place, the shopping centre was teeming with vendors, shoppers, beer drinkers and pool players as it was month-end. He said he did not recognise any of the 29 MDC accused members of being involved in the throwing of the stones.

"The police officer was struck by a stone which came from nowhere and he fell down," said Chipiya who was standing some 60 metres from where Mutedza was hit.

Chipiya said he assisted in rendering first aid to Mutedza before he was ferried to Harare hospital where he was pronounced dead.

However, another State witness, Joshua Daka who is a Glen View resident and a police officer had a different version. He said Mutedza collapsed along 11th Street, which is near the residential houses and not close to Munyarari Bar.

Daka said he was standing further from Chipiya but he saw Mutedza coming out of Munyarari Bar running and stones were coming from different directions but he claimed that he only managed to see people wearing white t-shirts as among those who were throwing the stones.

He said the deceased ran to a truck parked along 11th Street and when he attempted to open the vehicle's passenger's door; the vehicle sped off at high speed and Mutedza fell down heavily on the tarmac.

Daka claims that he ran to assist Mutedza and he took him to a car washer's bay at the shopping centre before other police officers came and tried to render first aid on the police officer before they took him to Harare hospital.

The trial continues at 2pm today.

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