By Brenna Matendere
Police bosses in Manicaland have been accused of neglecting a 28-year-old officer, who was brutally attacked by robbers while on duty.
Rodgers Chihanga, father of Constable David Taruvinga Chihanga, said medical bills for his son, who now has a blood clot in his head after the attack, have surged to above $400 000 and the police bosses are allegedly reluctant to help settle the bill.
“Some time in February 2020, a member of the ZRP named Constable David Takunda Chihanga stationed at Nyanga Police Station was deployed at Gairezi police base as an investigating officer,” Chinhanga said.
“The member arrested a wanted person and informed his mother station about the matter through his officer-in-charge, requesting for transport, but his efforts ended up putting him in trouble.
“The following morning, which was the 20th day of February 2020, he said he went to the bus stop at around 3am with the accused person waiting for public transport.
“While waiting, he was attacked by the brothers of the accused person with a knife, wooden logs and stones, ordering him to release their brother.
“The member sustained a depressed skull fracture and deformed immobilised right arm.”
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Chinhanga’s distressed father said his son was admitted at Mutare Provincial Hospital for a few days before he was discharged.
“On the 4th day of March 2020, the member went to Morris Depot camp hospital with his sister as his injuries worsened and he was referred to Parirenyatwa by Dr Nyamukure of ZRP,” he said.
“The member was instructed to submit quotations of the two surgeries, which were supposed to be done to the Police General Headquarters.”
Different quotations were submitted, but the process was delayed until a family member contributed funds for a hand surgery.
“In April 2020, another quotation of the head surgery was submitted to the organisation since he has a blood clot in his brain,” he said.
“Follow-ups were done several times through different offices, including the office of the chaplin general of the police, but until today, nothing came up, and the member is complaining of serious headaches caused by the blood clot in his brain.
“For the head surgery we have a quotation of $400 000 and we have raised $123 000.
“We are saddened by lack of support from the police who are employers of my son.
“Since February, they have not contributed even a cent,” he said.
Chihanga added: “Before that, we paid $98 000 for hand surgery, $900 for head scan, US$40 consultation fee at a specialist doctor of bones and US$50 as consultation fee at specialist doctor for brain.
“The medicine we have bought so far amounts to about US$250 and more money is still needed.”
Manicaland provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa said he did not have any information about the case.
