ZANU PF youth secretary for administration Lewis Matutu was arrested on Saturday after he allegedly went on a rampage beating up police officers at Zvishavane Police Station accusing them of refusing to deal with a theft case.
By Stephen Chadenga
Matutu allegedly lost his temper and beat up police officers after they indicated that they would attend to the case involving the alleged theft of gold by his workers the following morning.
He was immediately locked up in police cells and released the following day.
Zvishavane-Ngezi MP John Holder (Zanu PF) confirmed the incident and said Zvishavane police had pleaded with him to rein in Matutu.
“Those reports are true. I was just talking to senior cops here in Zvishavane who were complaining over the behaviour of Matutu and urging us as senior party leaders to discipline him,” Holder said.
“He is reported to have gone to the police station to make a report against workers employed at his gold mine in an issue involving gold ore.
“When the police officers indicated to him that they were from the law and order section and that the minerals squad would handle his case, it did not go down well with him.
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“The minerals detectives said it was late at night and that they would handle his issue the following day, but Matutu — who looked drunk — is alleged to have turned on the cops at Zvishavane Police Station.”
Although Midlands acting provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende professed ignorance over the issue, a junior police officer in Zvishavane who requested anonymity said police had opened an assault case against Matutu.
Matutu is not new to controversy. In April this year, he was placed under investigation by the Zanu PF Midlands provincial leadership on allegations of abusing First Lady Grace Mugabe’s name for extortion purposes.
Again this year he and a police officer, Paridzirai Dube, were taken to the High Court by Zvishavane businessman Tendai Mpofu, who accused the pair of swindling him of more than $12 000 in a botched mining deal.
Matutu could not be reached for comment yesterday.
