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SECURITY OFFICIALS HUNT FOR SUSPECTED ARMY AND POLICE IMPOSTORS

ZIMBABWE: TERROR/THE HERALD/30/1/19 SABANews 1

CHEGUTU – Police in ZIMBABWE have launched a manhunt for 15 dangerous armed men masquerading as army and police officers, who have been terrorising people in the western region.

The group has attacked different places in CHEGUTU Town and surrounding areas and got away with TWO cars, loaded guns, police uniforms, cellular phones, and cash.

Armed robbers arrested earlier in Harare (Pic. Harare 24 News)

THE HERALD says the robbers, some wearing National Army uniforms and police riot jackets with pairs of camouflage trousers, abducted and stripped State and municipal police officers.

It says the Police Officer Commanding MASHONALAND WEST Province, Commissioner FELLY MJANGA CHIKOWERO, has revealed the information.

The official says a 19 JANUARY report by CHEGUTU District Police Commander Chief Superintendent TAMBUDZAI MAZAMBANI shows the assailants attacked and stole goods from CHINESE nationals.

They were allegedly armed with TWO 303 rifles, an AK 47 assault rifle, TWO pistols, metal bars, machetes and batons when they raided the house of the CHINESE.

The suspects reportedly fired shots and smashed windows before demanding cash and valuables from LI JIPING (60), LIE HIA LING (58) and YUAN YING DUO (48).

They allegedly severely assaulted their victims with batons and got away with a pistol, cell phones and cash, before shooting OBERT KAVHIYANO, who stays in the cottage, and stealing a decoder and another cell phone from his neighbour, FARISAI CHIHORO.

Chief Superintendent MAZAMBANI says Mr JINPIN reported the matter at Police CHEGUTU and returned with THREE officers to the crime scene.

However, the suspects overpowered the law-enforcement agents, disarmed and stripped them, before seizing TWO cars, THREE cell phones, an FN riffle with 20 rounds, police uniforms, and cash.

The suspected robbers then bundled their victims into the TWO stolen motor vehicles and drove out of the premises.

Police say on the same night, they received reports of yet another armed robbery and detectives, THREE of them armed with an AK 47 rifle and CZ pistols.

They found the assailants still at the scene and they engaged them, but the detectives were again overpowered; forcing THREE of the details to flee and leave TWO colleagues behind.

The robbers captured the remaining TWO, bundled them into the boot of the stolen vehicle after seizing their phones, police IDs, a CZ pistol and cash.

Chief Superintendent MAZAMBANI says the suspects committed a number of similar attacks and later dumped their captives and a motor vehicle before disappearing.

The authorities in ZIMBABWE say there are a number of guns in private hands illegally and the firearms are being used to commit crimes./Sabanews/cam

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MUNICIPAL DISCORD FORCES PRESIDENTIAL INTERVENTION

NAMIBIA: GOVERNANCE/NBC/30/1/19 SABANews 1

WINDHOEK – President HAGE GEINGOB of NAMIBIA has had to intervene in a case involving TWO municipal officials in the capital, WINDHOEK.

NBC News says he has ordered the Municipality to reinstate City Police Chief ABRAHAM KANIME and drop all charges against Chief Executive Officer ROBERT KAHIMISE.

Fatal shooting in city centre (Pic. NBC)

It says the Head of State has taken the action after what it describes as continuous wrangling among councillors in the City Council over the TWO officials for the past THREE years.

City Police Chief KANIME has been on non-stop suspension while earning his salary; and Chief Executive Officer KAHIMISE was suspended, resumed work and was then reinstated in his post.

President GEINGOB says even though he is not familiar with the law, he has decided to issue the order to end the impasse.

He says while the councillors have been fighting without an end there has been a murder in the centre of WINDHOEK.

President GEINGOB was referring to the shooting that resulted in the death of a senior worker at the GLOBAL FUND Office while another employee was admitted at Lady POHAMBA Hospital Intensive Care Unit with bullet wounds.

Police have since arrested a GLOBAL FUND employee and charged him with murder as well as attempted murder following the incident TWO days ago.

SIMAATA SIMASIKU has appeared in the WINDHOEK Magistrate’s Court facing charges of murdering SARAH MWILIMA and attempted to murder ESTER NEPOLO.

NBC News says he has told Magistrate VANESSA STANLEY he may apply for a State-funded lawyer if he fails to get a private lawyer, after she warned him of his legal rights.

Magistrate STANLEY has remanded the case to the FIRST of MARCH to allow for further investigations and for the accused to secure a lawyer.

The State alleges Mr SIMASIKU shot colleagues MWILIMA and NEPOLO in broad daylight at the GLOBAL FUND Office in WINDHOEK City Centre.

Ms MWILIMA died instantly but Ms NEPOLO survived and was rushed to Lady POHAMBA Hospital for treatment after the shooting.

Prosecutors say they suspect a disagreement over the renewal of the arrested man’s contract, which ends at the end of MARCH, may have prompted the shooting.

The NAMIBIAN Head of State has expressed annoyance over the squabbles in the Council chambers of the capital city when the municipality needed full attention in the face of such murders./Sabanews/cam

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ELECTORAL COMMISSION GETS READY FOR 2019 GENERAL ELECTIONS

MALAWI: BALLOTS/MBC/30/1/19 SABANews 1

BLANTYRE – The MALAWI Electoral Commission has called on operators of nomination equipment to ensure their tools are safe when discharging their duties.

When voting time comes (Pic. The Maravi Post)

MBC News says the Commissioner responsible for Media and Civic Education has addressed the workers during a ONE-day-long training session in the commercial capital, BLANTYRE.

MOFFAT BANDA says the aim of the exercise is to equip personnel with skills in readiness for the presentation of nomination papers ahead of general elections on 21 MAY 2019.

Other media reports say the Commission has called on aspiring candidates to present their nomination papers for pre-inspection on the SECOND and THIRD of next month.

They say people vying for the National Assembly and Local Government will present their nomination papers to their Constituency Returning Officers.

Presidential candidates will present their nomination papers to the Electoral Commission Head Office at the COMESA Hall in BLANTYRE.

The exercise aims to ensure all nomination papers have been filled correctly and allow aspiring candidates to correct any anomalies and deficiencies whilst there is still time.

Chief Elections Officer SAMMY ALFANDIKA has issued a statement say the move will help avoid a situation where errors come out on the nomination day and cause panic.

He says politicians who will not be able to go to the pre-inspection centre to delegate their representatives, and there is no need to mobilize their supporters to escort them to the venues.

However, Mr ALFANDIKA says there is no specific schedule drawn and aspiring candidates or their representatives are free to come at their convenient time.

The government of MALAWI is this year funding general elections without support from donors for the FIRST time since the advent of multiparty democracy in 1994./Sabanews/cam

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FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED AFTER ACCUSED PERSON DIES IN POLICE CUSTODY

ZAMBIA: TORTURE/ZNBC/30/1/19 SABANews 1

ZAMBEZI – A man allegedly arrested on suspicions of possessing a firearm illegally has died in police custody in the North-western ZAMBIA district of ZAMBEZI.

The Acting Police Inspector General says the force will carry out an inquiry to determine what could have led to the death of the suspect at the ZAMBEZI Correctional Facility.

Police vehicle torched by angry residents (Pic. ZNBC)

EUGENE SIBOTE says they plan to send a team of officers and a pathologist to the district to conduct a post mortem and find out what led to the burning of a police vehicle as well.

He has revealed the development to ZNBC News in the capital, LUSAKA, saying the incident occurred after officers allegedly tortured the man to death after accusing of illegally possessing a gun.

The national broadcaster also says yesterday, a mob of residents of ZAMBEZI District burnt a police vehicle and destroyed the district hospital mortuary.

It says the provincial leadership of the ruling PATRIOTIC FRONT Party has condemned the events, describing them as retrogressive and unfortunate.

Provincial Chairperson JACKSON KUNGO says the actions, which led to loss of life and damage of property could have been avoided.

He has called on both the security officers and members of the public to exercise restraint in their engagements.

The ZAMBIAN politician says authorities should bring to book the police officer who killed the suspect and arrest the people involved in vandalizing government property once they are identified./Sabanews/cam

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AUTHORITIES SEIZE SMUGGLED GOODS AT BORDER POSTS

MOZAMBIQUE: SMUGGLING/RM/30/1/19 SABANews 1

MAPUTO – The MOZAMBIQUE Revenue Authority says it has detained an assortment of goods that include food, phones, and motor vehicles smuggled into the country.

Police struggle to control porous border (Pic. Web)

RADIO MOZAMBIQUE says the agency has carried out an operation in the districts of ZOBUE CUCHAMANO, on the border with ZAMBIA, as well as in CHANGARA and MOATIZE, which border MALAWI.

It quotes the Revenue Authority TETE Provincial Officer as saying they have seized SEVEN cars, a number of cell-phones, about 19-THOUSAND tonnes of sugar, THREE bales of used clothing, 16 packs of soda, 67 tyres, and other loose items.

ÂMIDO ABDALA says many people resort to covert cross-border activities largely because they cannot afford to pay for travel documents, border taxes, work permits, as well as import and trade licenses.

He says officials in TETE Province have adaunting task to monitor the movement of goods and people at THREE major boundaries with ZAMBIA and MALAWI.

He names the frontiers as CUCHAMANO in CHANGARA District; ZOBUE in MOATIZE; CASSACATIZA in CHIFUNDE District; CALOMUE, which also borders MALAWI, in ANGONIA District.

However, Mr ABDALA says poachers and smugglers have virtually destroyed the boundary fence by cutting it or even digging trenches underneath.

Mocimboa da Praia District offices (Pic. Agencies)

MOZAMBIQUE has for years being struggling to bring sanity to its borders amid a concoction of crimes like illegal migration, human trafficking, armed banditry, poaching, and smuggling.

Defence Minister ATANÁSIO M’TUMUKE had to meet his TANZANIAN counterpart, HUSSEIN MWINYI, last year to come up with a joint operation plan to fight cross-border crimes.

Their discussions in the South-eastern TANZANIA town of MTWARA came after a wave of attacks against civilians and security posts by armed gangs in the CABO DELGADO Region of Northern MOZAMBIQUE.

The previous year had seen at least 100 people – including civilians, members of the security forces, as well as suspected bandits, killed in violent clashes in the area.

Media reports say the wave of violence in CABO DELGADO broke out after a group from a local mosque attacked police stations in MOCÍMBOA DA PRAIA District in OCTOBER 2017.

Since then, Northern MOZAMBIQUE has recorded many cross-border crimes that continue to worry the State at a time when the country is fighting to recover its economy and harvest the abundant natural resources it has./Sabanews/cam