HARARE – Police have arrested a Kadoma gold miner seen in a viral internet video violently assaulting a man he accused of stealing from him.
Litten Chikowore handed himself over to police in the company of his lawyer on Thursday, and will appear in court soon.
Police had issued a Twitter appeal seeking to identify the victim in the sickening 45-second video.
“The ZRP wishes to thank members of the public for the cooperation rendered in the inquires. The complainant Pedzisai Mangisi, 30, has since been located while the accused person Litten Chikowore has been arrested,” police said in an update.
Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, the national police spokesman, said: “We’re still recording some witness statements and the full information will only be available after the investigation has been concluded.
“No-one has got the right to assault or to mete out instant justice to any other person no matter the wrong one feels has been committed against him or her.”
“The availability of the complainant will ensure that the law takes its course without delay,” the ZRP added on Twitter.
Chikowore, on his Facebook page, says he is the director of Kinum Start Mining. He posted several pictures of himself wearing Zanu PF regalia emblazoned with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s images. In other pictures, he is seen at the grave of former Cabinet minister Enos Chikowore at the National Heroes Acre.
In the video, Chikowore – who appears to have handgun in his right-side jean pocket – is seen repeatedly striking a hapless Mangisi with a truncheon next to what appears to be a mine shaft.
Mangisi is heard denying stealing from Chikowore.
“You will kill me,” he pleads with Chikowore, who replies: “I will take a rest when I feel tired.”
Mangisi can he heard calling out to his mother as the assault continues.
Chikowore, seemingly not satisfied with the pain the baton stick is inflicting, is heard at some point calling out to a “Macheso” to ask if he has “electricity” – presumably to continue the brutality through electric shocks.
The video ends with Mangisi still being savagely whipped while a small group of people watches from a distance.
It is not known whether Chikowore knew he was being recorded, or who made the recording.
