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In a dramatic twist of events, two police officers in Zimbabwe were allegedly kidnapped by a motorist they had stopped at a checkpoint in Harare city center – set up to enforce the 6 pm to 6 am curfew.
iHarare reports that 31-year-old Tinotenda Zinyemba who was driving a white Isuzu KB truck kidnapped the police officers near Samora Machel Avenue and Chinhoyi intersection after the two police had quizzed Zinyemba as to why he was driving during the curfew.
However, defiant Zinyemba who was caught defying curfew started to show signs of resistance, which prompted the two police officers to jump into the car and ordered him to drive to Harare Central Police station.
It is reported that once the police officers settled down into his car, akin to Hollywood action movies – Zinyemba drove off at high speed towards Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals. It is not clear why he drove in that direction or what he was going to do with the two cops he had kidnapped.
Noticing, what was happening, other officers manning the roadblock tried to give chase on foot to rescue their colleagues and arrest the motorist, but to no avail.
Speaking about the incident, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, said that it was an offense under the Road Traffic Act to disobey directions and instructions, whether verbal or by signs, given by a police officer in uniform.
“Members of the public are urged to cooperate with police officers and security services members who are conducting Covid-19 duties. The ZRP would like to strongly warn all motorists and the general public that all those who undermine the authority of the police will face the full wrath of the law.”
Apparently this is the first time police officers have been kidnapped whilst doing their job. Cases, where officers on duty are being kidnapped, have been on the rise in the last few years and officers have been assaulted by motorists in a bid to evade arrest.
