THE 20 men from Killarney squatter camp arrested on Thursday afternoon following a raid by armed police details were released from the Donnington Police Station holding cells without charge on Saturday evening. LINDA CHINOBVA OWN CORRESPONDENT
The cops raided the illegal settlement and confiscated property, including television sets, radios, DVDs and speakers, among others, that they suspected was stolen property.
One of the detained men who only identified himself as Ndlovu, said they were released after pleading with Donnington police as they did not know why they had been arrested.
“We were released on Saturday evening after pleading with the Donnington police to call the Hillside police who had arrested us to come and release us as we did not know why we had been arrested.
“The police came and told us we were under arrest because they were conducting a clean-up campaign, but what surprises us is that if it was a clean-up operation why did they not arrest everyone or produce warrants of arrest,” Ndlovu said.
He said they were ordered to pay $5 admission of guilt fines for a something they were never told.
He said they finger printed, photographed and profiled.
Another man who only wanted to be identified as Khumalo said some of the squatters received their confiscated property back while some were told to report back to the station yesterday.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Khumalo said they were unhappy that police denied them access to their anti-retroviral medication.
“It is very disturbing that the police denied us the right to take our medication during our stay in the cells. Who does not know that the tablets must be taken every day and once you start skipping the dose there are side effects?” Khumalo.
Some of the squatters were accused of being in possession of mbanje and were forced to surrender the illicit drug that they allegedly did not possess.
Efforts to reach Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo for comment were fruitless as he was unreachable.
