By Melisa Munzvandi
A Beitbridge man, 52, says he no longer knows whether the justice system protects victims or perpetrators of crime.
This was after Rangarirai Mashingaidza ended in the dock as he followed up his assault case at the hands of a man who butchered him.
A bitter Mashingaidze visited Ziyah News Network Monday with his story contained in a huge file where he feels betrayed by the whole world and blanketly blames even those whose interests are pure justice.
He easily made reference to documents in that file supporting his claims of a corrupt and untenable situation he feels needs scrutiny.
Frankly, he is angry with the police, the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services, sections of the magistrates’ court, the prosecutors and almost Everyone he deems does not agree with him.
The deputy commander of Beitbridge Police District Superintendent Philisani Ndebele referred questions from Ziyah News Network to the national police spokssperson Commissioner Nyathi who was unavaiable when comment was sought.
His case however leaves the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) with an egg on the face after the Regional Court exposed underhand deals where a police officer identified only as Mafu of Beitbridge Urban may have corruptly turned a complainant into an accused.
A letter of complaint against Mafu, the investigation officer, was made by Mashingaidze and handed to the police.
The outcome of that complaint was unavailable.
Mashingaidze detailed his assault at Ziyah News Network last week saying he might never forget what Welshman Tapiwa Ngazimbi did to him in January 2025.
On that day he found Ngazimbi and another man at large in an altercation and physical fight with his son.
He settled the dispute and his son left for work.
Moments, later Ngazimbi and another man turned to Mashingaidze accusing him of letting their enemy go.
The two men beat Mashingaidze to pulp leaving him with serious injuries and a scarred body for which he was hospitalised.
According to the medical report, he sustained severe back injuries following in that assault in which he was struck with a log.
He subsequently reported the matter to police who took him to Beitbridge hospital where a medical examination and report were done.
Months later, Mashingaidze said Mafu called him saying the suspect (Ngazimbi) had been apprehended.
“I was told they had Ngazimbinwho assaulted me. I went to the police station and from there we went straight to court,” Mashingaidze recalled.
It was at the Regional Court that he discovered the purpose of the visit was not what he had been told.
Mashingaidze said at the court he was seized by prison officials and thrown into cells as an accused person.
He had an attempted murdercase!
This was after Ngazimbi connived with Mafu to fraudulently turn the tables.
“I was lied to. Instead of the case I reported, I was the one who got arrested on the spot,” he said. Mashingaidze handed a report against the police after the investigation officer in his case Mafu had turned the tables against him.
Following its own investigations, the Regional Court presided over by Magistrate Charity Maphosa, ruled the medical report submitted by Ngazimbi and Mafu was fraudulent.
Ngazimbi was subsequently sentenced to 20 months of community service, a sentence later commuted to 420 days of community service.
Mashingaidze said his troubles did not end there. After making a follow up on the case, he discovered that Ngazimbi had not served any of the 420 days.
Again he followed up the matter at the courts to establish why Ngazimbi had allegedly not done his community service.
“He did not do his community service because I went to check because I wanted to be sure he is getting his due punishment but to my surprise, he was not there. I asked different authorities at the courts but did not get satisfactory answers and I am bitter about it,” charged Mashingaidze.
“Its just that people do not know what I am capable of. I can even go to thePresident’s Department with my report,” he said.
A senior prosecutor acknowledged having seen Mashingaidze at their offices where he fumed about “almost everything” and blaming almost everyone.
“Some of the blame apportions to certain sectors is driven by anger and perhaps little verificati9n of facts. There is no way anyone in the department would have known what happened at the police for him to be brought as an accused person. He must be understand the process at the same time thank the courts which established his case and did justice to it,” said the prosecutor.
But for Mashingaidze, justice remains a pie in the sky.