ZANU PF Activists Denied Bail Over Risk of Witness Interference, Abscond
Three ZANU PF activists — including serving ZPCS officer Isheanesu Benjamin Marima — have been denied bail by the High Court in Masvingo, with Justice Christopher Dube-Banda ruling that the seriousness of the charges and risk of witness interference made them unsuitable for release. The trio, accused of kidnapping and torturing police officer Beaster Tati during Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 hearings in Gokwe, were remanded in custody at Gokwe Prison. Their trial is set to begin on April 28, 2026, under charges of kidnapping and assault, while two other suspects remain at large.
Dumisani Ndlovu 
Three ZANU PF activists, including a serving Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) officer, were on April 14, 2026 denied bail by the High Court of Zimbabwe sitting in Masvingo, after the court ruled that releasing them posed a serious risk of witness interference and possible abscondment.
The accused — Isheanesu Benjamin Marima (30), Collin Masawi (44), and Edwin Chinogwa (33) — were represented by Thomas Militao and Kwekwe-based Whatmore Gandi of Mutatu Legal Practitioners before Justice Christopher Dube-Banda.
In his ruling, Justice Dube-Banda stressed that the allegations against the trio are extremely serious, involving the alleged kidnapping and torture of a police officer on duty. He warned that the nature of the offence itself demonstrated the accused’s capacity to undermine the justice system.
The judge further noted a high likelihood that the accused could interfere with witnesses if granted bail, particularly given that some of their alleged accomplices are still at large. This, he said, raised the risk that the accused might attempt to influence or intimidate witnesses or even abscond from trial.
Justice Dube-Banda also remarked that if the accused were bold enough to allegedly abduct and detain a police officer performing national duty, there would be little to deter them from interfering with civilian witnesses. On that basis, he ruled that they were not suitable candidates for bail.
The three men were remanded in custody at Gokwe Prison, with the matter set down for initial trial on April 28, 2026.
The charges arise from an incident on March 31, 2026, in Nembudziya, Gokwe, where the accused allegedly abducted and assaulted a police officer, Beaster Tati, who was deployed to cover Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3) public hearings.
According to the State, Tati was lured into a vehicle, taken to a secluded area, and assaulted with a wooden log, sustaining injuries, before being abandoned at Mutora Business Centre.
The accused were later arrested in separate operations, while two other suspects linked to the case remain at large.
They are facing charges of kidnapping or unlawful detention and assault under the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23].
