Mitch Tafirenyika, an officer with the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), recently stood trial at the High Court in Gweru on murder charges.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) reported that Tafirenyika, who was 28 at the time of the incident, was part of a specialised unit tasked with capturing two armed robbery suspects, Tichaona Muzhanduki and Doubt Munsaka, at Radway Farm.
When the police arrived at the farm, they split into four groups to strategically surround the property. Tafirenyika and a colleague were armed with service rifles. After identifying themselves as police, the door was opened by the now-deceased individual.
At that moment, Tafirenyika fired several shots, hitting the individual in the chest and arms, resulting in their immediate death.
Tafirenyika was later charged with murder and found guilty. On Friday, September 20, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
This case follows growing concerns over allegations of extra-judicial killings by police, particularly during operations involving suspected armed robbers.
Just a day before the sentencing, on September 19, President Emmerson Mnangagwa swore in members of the Zimbabwe Independent Complaints Commission (ZICC), a body set up to investigate misconduct by security forces, including the ZRP, Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF), Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), and Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS).
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