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Walter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
FOUR Chingwizi settlers in Mwenezi who last year torched two police vehicles reducing them to shells during violent clashes that occurred at the transit camp have been sentenced to a combined 20 years in jail.Mike Madyanembwa, Patrick Changwesha, Ellen Muteiwa, and Collin Tandare whose ages were not given, were each sentenced to an effective five years in prison by Chiredzi magistrate, Honest Musiiwa.

They had pleaded not guilty to arson charges but Musiiwa convicted them after finding overwhelming evidence against them.

The four accused were represented by lawyers from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.

Delivering sentence, Musiiwa said the settlers had committed a serious offence of burning two police vehicles.

“You committed a serious offence through working in connivance to destroy government vehicles with an estimated value of $130,000. No amount of provocation can lead you to take the law into your hands,” said Musiiwa.

Prosecuting Liberty Hove said sometime in August last year violence erupted at Chingwizi transit camp between police and more than 8,000 Tokwe-Mukorsi flood victims.

Hove said the police were trying to forcibly move the settlers to a new site.

During the skirmishes, the settlers set two defenders on fire reducing the vehicles to shells.