ZANU PF member and losing candidate for the Chinhoyi parliamentary seat in the August 2023 elections, Thomas Chidzomba, and a colleague Esau Chizombe spent last night in police cells after they were arrested for allegedly assaulting a white farmer, Brink Bosman.
They will appear at Chinhoyi Magistrates Court today.
Chidzomba handed himself to CID Chinhoyi accompanied by his lawyer Fortune Murisi.
Police sources said they also went to Bosman’s Dandrennam farm in Lion’s Den to arrest Chidzomba’s workers, but found the place deserted.
Chidzomba will face a charge of unlawful occupation and of assaulting Bosman, while Chizombe will face charges of assaulting Francis Bava, a security guard at the farm.
Chidzomba’s accomplices Bruno Elias, John Kagare and Norbert Mawere were recently arrested and are currently out on bail.
Police sources said Chidzomba handed himself to the police after they “threatened to hunt him as he was not co-operating”.
“We threatened to hunt him down as he was not co-operating with the police and kept on hiding,” one of the sources said.
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“Lawyer Murisi brought him after those threats.”
Chidzomba was arrested last month with the other four Zanu PF activists, but the courts withdrew the charges citing that they occupied part of the farm using power of attorney from Kindness Paradza, who is now a Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commissioner.
But Paradza has since withdrawn the letter of power of attorney.
Bosman allegedly fingered Chidzomba and other people for assaulting him and the security guard.
Mashonaland West provincial police spokesperson Inspector Ian Kohwera could neither confirm nor deny that Chidzomba was arrested, saying he was still to be briefed about the case.
Bosman’s problems at the farm started on April 5 this year when Chidzomba, Elias, Norbert Mawere and one Elington Chanetsa unlawfully and without permission from him or the State occupied his 578,54 hectares subdivision 1 Manenga Dundrennam Farm in Lion’s Den.
Bosman was given an offer letter for Dundrennam Farm on September 30, 2004.
