By Advent Shoko | ZiGoats
A new account of the incident that landed Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe in police custody has emerged, raising fresh questions about what really happened at Brompton Guest Lodge in Harare.
Gerrard Anko Ged Belts, host of Current Issues on Zimbo Live TV, has disputed the widely reported narrative linking the arrest to a Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) operation targeting two luxury vehicles suspected of illegal importation.
In a post on X, Belts claimed he had been “reliably informed” that the confrontation started after a man allegedly urinated in a garden area where Chatunga and his friends were relaxing.
According to his account, the man was allegedly drunk and began urinating in the sitting garden area where Chatunga, popularly known as Bells, and his friends were spending time.
Belts claimed Chatunga confronted the man, questioning his behaviour.
He alleged that the confrontation escalated after the man responded that nobody could tell him what to do before allegedly slapping Chatunga and pulling out a firearm.
The television presenter further claimed that security personnel at the lodge subsequently assaulted the man.
Belts identified the man as Lloyd Mupanduki, whom he described as a Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operative working with ZACC. He also claimed the man had booked Room 11 at Brompton Lodge and was accompanied by a girlfriend from Masvingo.
“I am reliably informed that this CIO guy in the picture below works for ZACC and is behind the arrest yaChatunga. The issue has nothing to do with cars,” Belts wrote.
However, the allegations have not been independently verified, and there is no official confirmation that the confrontation unfolded as described.
What The Court Papers Say
While the social media account presents a different version of events, details emerging from court proceedings have added another dimension to the case.
According to court papers reported by The Herald, the complainant was identified as Lloyd Panyika Mapanduki, a 42-year-old security guard who was on duty at Brompton Guest Lodge when the incident occurred.
The State alleges that Chatunga and his four co-accused confronted Mapanduki before attacking him with open hands and broomsticks.
He reportedly sustained a deep cut on his forehead and bled heavily.
The court also heard allegations that one of the accused forcibly took the complainant’s loaded service pistol before another allegedly took his Samsung A56 cellphone and smashed it on the ground.
The firearm was subsequently recovered from Terrence Johannes Chinyemba, one of the accused.
Mapanduki was reportedly receiving medical attention at a local hospital.
These allegations introduce significant differences between the account circulating on social media and the version presented by the State.
In particular, the court reporting identifies the complainant as a security guard, while Belts describes him as a CIO operative working with ZACC.
The names also differ, with the social media post referring to Lloyd Mupanduki and the court report identifying Lloyd Panyika Mapanduki.
Neither the alleged urinating incident nor the claim that the complainant pulled a firearm on Chatunga has been established in court.
Chatunga Remains In Custody
Chatunga, 29, appeared before Harare magistrate Tapiwa Kuhudzai on Thursday, November 5, alongside Munashe Mubawu, Terrence Johannes Chinyemba, Fredson Peter and Solomon Pamire.
The five were remanded in custody pending a bail application scheduled for Friday, November 6.
Their arrest followed an incident at Brompton Guest Lodge on November 3, initially reported by police as a case of assault.
Meanwhile, ZACC had separately confirmed that its officers seized a Lamborghini Urus and a Mercedes-Benz GLE 53 during an operation targeting suspected irregularities involving the vehicles’ importation and temporary permits.
The commission also confirmed that one of its officials was assaulted during the operation.
ZACC spokesperson Simiso Mlevu said: “One of our officials was assaulted by the suspects who are allegedly involved in the smuggling of the vehicles and the matter was reported to the police.”
The two vehicles were reportedly found at the lodge, although authorities have not publicly established Chatunga’s ownership of them.
Two Competing Accounts, One Pending Court Case
The competing narratives have fuelled public debate about the circumstances surrounding Chatunga’s arrest.
Belts’ account suggests a personal confrontation that allegedly escalated into violence, while the State’s case places the alleged assault, theft of a firearm and destruction of a cellphone at the centre of the proceedings.
Whether the social media claims will feature in the defence case, and whether they can be supported by evidence, remains to be seen.
For now, the allegations against Chatunga and his co-accused remain before the courts. All five are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
As more details emerge, the case is becoming about more than the seizure of two luxury vehicles. It is also about establishing exactly what happened at Brompton Guest Lodge and who was responsible for the violence.
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