Bulawayo socialite arrested for attempted murder

A BULAWAYO socialite was last Friday arrested and detained at Central Police Station facing a charge of attempted murder after he allegedly tried to run over two people at a bar sometime in June this year.

However the man, Edison Chivasa, has filed a counter charge to the attempted murder charge, stating that he was racially discriminated against and his car was maliciously damaged by the people whom he allegedly tried to run over.

Chivasa, whose age and address could not be established, is alleged to have tried to run over a manageress and a security guard three times at an up-market bar after he was asked to settle his tab and to respect the rules and regulations governing the bar on 14 June.

The bar is situated in the outskirts of Bulawayo's central business district and has a strict members only policy, accommodating a multi-racial crowd.

Police confirmed Chivasa's arrest.

"We are holding a man on attempted murder. He is alleged to have tried to run over a complainant sometime in June this year," said Bulawayo Province police spokesperson Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo.

Witnesses said Chivasa was politely asked to settle his tab and to inform the staff next time he brought guests as there was a cover charge.

"Eddie is a gold card member at this bar. He is entitled to certain privileges that no one else has. He has privileges such as that of a tab, where if he does not have money to settle his bill he can sign a receipt, stating when and how he will settle the bill. The manager came up to him after he entered the bar with two  friends and asked him to pay up his bill and to inform them of his intension to bring guests over so as to accommodate them on his tab.

"This is what supposedly enraged Eddie. Maybe he wasn't amused by the manner in which the manageress approached him and started shouting obscenities, hurling racial insults targeted at her and the owner," said a witness who preferred anonymity.

Another witness that concurred with the first witness' statement said Chivasa was sober when he allegedly attempted to run over the bar's staff.

"Eddie is a regular at almost every bar; everybody knows him and the fact that he does not take alcohol. He was as sober as a baby when he tried to run that woman and her security guard over. All that enraged him was the fact that he was asked to settle his bill. The woman approached him and spoke to him only. No one could have heard what she was saying to him as she spoke to him only. He brought attention to himself when he started yelling racial insults at her and the owner who was not present when the incident occurred.

"He left the bar soon after his onslaught, leaving behind the people he had come with. He drove out of the vicinity only to return and cause more chaos. We were in the car park when he returned. She came out of the bar to talk to him at the car park. He got out of his car and again started using his abusive language. I can't say that she, who was in my company, did not shout at him back, as she was aggravated to do so. That is when he got into his car and drove straight at them. He tried to run over them three times and he was sober," said the witness.

The bar owner, who requested anonymity, said he was not present when the incident occurred and could not be of much help in providing information.

"I was at home sleeping when the incident occurred. I can't really comment as a first-hand witness but all I can say is that I was informed of what transpired at the bar and the law shall deal with it," he said.

The manageress said she was still in shock and surprised at the fact that Chivasa tried to run over her.

"Eddie is a gold card member at this bar and we treat him with respect. What he tried to do is really shocking. All I did was ask him to settle his tab and to next time inform us of his intension of bringing extra guests so that we make provisions to accommodate them on his tab," she said.

She alleged that Chivasa had sent her threatening messages that said she would regret her actions.

"You are going to regret what you just did, trust me when I say this," read one messages, which was sent on 14 June at 1.26 am.

In spite of this, Chivasa alleged that he was racially abused at the bar and had filed charges of insult and malicious damage to property.

Chivasa is scheduled to appear in court tomorrow.

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