Freeman Full Warned & Cautioned Statement Given To The Police Over Armed Robbery Allegations
Below is musician Energy “Freeman” Chizanga’s full warned and cautioned statement that he gave to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP)’s CID Homicide department after he was called in for questioning following allegations that he is linked to notorious armed armed robbers. The follows his link to the deceased armed robber Godknows Machingura, who was shot dead by the police last month. Freeman was previously linked to another now deceased armed robber, the late Charles Chirara.
CID HOMICIDE HRE DR 59/12/23 HARARE CENTRAL CR 1035/12/23
EXHIBIT…’
Warned and Cautioned Statement
I Emegy Chizanga aged 34 years NR (withdrawn) of house number (withdrawn) having been informed by Detective Assistant Inspector Chatukuta of CID Homicide, Harare that inquiries are being made in connection with a case of Conspiracy to Commit Robbery as defined in section 188 as read with section 126 of the Criminal Law,Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23 which occurred on 25 November 2023 in which it is being alleged that I conspired with the late Godfrey Machingura and one Paul Enest Mzenge Zhou to commit an Armed Robbery against Paul Chimbodza of house number 51 Dunkled Road Mt Pleasant Harare where it is further alleged that I supplied information in relation to the residential address of the victim Paul Chimbodza make this statement of my own free will. While I have been informed that I am not obliged to say anything in answer to these allegations, my failure at this stage to mention any facts relevant to my defense to them may result in court drawing inferences against me. Whatever I say will be put into writing and maybe given in evidence in court.
• You aro also entitled to the following rights:-
• To appear before a court within 48 hours unless detention has been authorized by a competent court,
• Not to be forced to make a confession,
• To be considered innocent until proven guilty,
• To he informed promptly of the charge in sufficient detail to enable them to answer it.
Have you understood the caution? Yes
Do. you wish to say anything? Yes
ACCUSED REPLY IN ENGLISH
I vehemently deny the allegations in too and will put the state to the strictest of proof to each and every allegation thereof. I never entered into any agreement with the said
Machingura, Muzenge or any other person for the commission of a crime or for the intended purpose of assisting the commission of any crime (armed robbery in this case). I never conspired with anyone to commit armed robbery.
I never met with or spoke to Godfrey Machingura or Paul Ernest Muzenge on 25 November 2023 nor supply them with the residential address of one Paul Chimbodza as alleged or at all.
For the record I do not even know the said Paul Chimbodza, also never met with him and have never visisted his house. I do not even know where he stays and no one gave me his address. I also never met and do not know Paul Ernest Muzenge. I challenge the said Muzenge to prove or produce evidence of any call history or text message or WhatsApp message or any other form of communication he or anyone may allege I did to him or Machingura on the said date allegedly giving them Paul Chimbodza’s residential address. Such NEVER happened. The only person I knew was Machingura.
I previously responded to a H-Metro newspaper article setting the record straight for the sake of my legions of fans and business, potential business associates and the nation at large. In brief I wish to further state that I started interacting with Machingura back in 2017 when my management team was contacted by Machingura inviting me to perform at a show he was organizing in Durban.Machingura presented himself to my management as a music promoter and someone who really liked my music. My management entered into an agreement with him and Machingura paid for the whole show, including our air tickets to and from Durban (inclusive of all expenses, food and accommodation).
Our first show together was a huge success such that he invited me to another show in Durban in 2018. Ever since that time we grew to be friends since I was very appreciative of the support he extended to me as a musician and many other musicians at a very difficult time.
My association with Machingura was purely innocent and founded on music entertainment business/relationship. I had some photos taken with him innocently , the same way he would have pictures taken with many other artists. I never knew or suspected that he could be involved with armed robbery or crime. At least I never saw anything that could have made me suspicious or suspect that he was involved in crime. Sometimes he would invite me and my band members to stay at his house if we had shows in Joburg, South Africa and he would also tell me whenever he was travelling to Zimbabwe. However around 2021 he started withdrawing himself from me and would not share much information about his movement and travels to Zimbabwe. Sometimes I would phone him when I got to Joburg asking if he was in town only for him to tell me that he was in Zimbabwe.I also never knew about his alleged associates and association with armed robbers.
For the record, I am a musician and a family men who has worked so hard to build my brand to where it is. I would never willingly, intentionally and knowingly associate with any criminal elements because this will definitely affect my family, music, brand and professional career. In recent times Machingura and I were no longer as close as we had become between 2011 and 2020. I never knew that Machingura was now involved in crime. This probably explains why he had withdrawn himself from me. It is also unfair , malicious and insensitive for Muzenge or any other person to falsely allege that I supplied them with information that was used or to be used to commit armed robbery. That is FALSE.
For the record once again, on the said date; 25 November 2023, I left my house and met with my band crew in town and we travelled to Chinhoyi where we had a show at Sinoia Primary School. My wife and band members can confirm that I never at any stage on that day met with Machingura and Muzenge. I also give the police full access to my phone to physically check if I ever shared any such information as alleged on the day in issue or at all. Better still the police have the ability and MUST forensically examine Machingura and Muzenge’s phones to see if at all I ever shared with them Chimbodza’ s residential address as alleged.
Needless to say, the police have been lied to by this Muzenge guy if it is true that he is the one who alleged that I supplied them with Chimbodza’s residential address. I do not know the circumstances under which he is alleged to have claimed that I gave him and Machingura Chimbodza’ s residential address. The said Chimbodza can also easily confirm that we are not friends, we have never met, I have never visited his house and there is no way I would have shared information about a person I have never known or herd of. Whoever is behind these false allegations is bent on destroying my reputation, music brand and carrier but the truth shall set me f
ree.I am very innocent. I will emerge STROGER.
I certify that the above statement was made freely and voluntarily by the suspect Emergy Chizanga who appeared to be in sound and sober senses.
Recorded by……..053635Y DAI CHATAKUTA
Witnessed by ……047390K DAI TSAMBATARE
Place: CID Homicide Harare on 02/01/24 at 1155 hours
