Prison guard attacked, robbed

News
A SUSPECTED robber who together with a colleague attacked a warder from Khami Prison and dispossessed him of belongings in the city centre, last week told the court that he was seeing “hell” at Bulawyo’s Grey Prison where he is being detained.

A SUSPECTED robber who together with a colleague attacked a warder from Khami Prison and dispossessed him of belongings in the city centre, last week told the court that he was seeing “hell” at Bulawyo’s Grey Prison where he is being detained.

SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER

He alleged that a certain guard had resorted to indiscriminately assaulting him.

This was heard when Mduduzi Sibanda (38) of no fixed abode appeared before Bulawayo senior magistrate Sibongile Msipa charged with plain robbery.

Sibanda denied the charge, but told the court that he was seeing hell at Grey Prison saying he was being tortured by a guard he only identified as Ndlovu, who accused him of robbing his boss.

Sibanda and his unidentified accomplice, who is still at large, allegedly robbed prison officer Tawanda Shoko.

“I was assaulted by a prison officer from Grey Prison. One Ndlovu beat me up saying I robbed his boss, but I know nothing about the robbery,” he said.

“When I told him that I would report him to the court he said I could go and report him to headquarters he did not mind.”

After hearing the complaint, Msipa remanded him in custody to May 8 and immediately advised the prison guards in the court to call the officer-in-charge of guards at the courts to visit her office urgently to talk about Sibanda’s alleged assault.

“Prison officers, go to the officer-in-charge now and tell him to meet me in my office,” she said.

Prosecutor Caroline Matanga told the court that on April 5 at around 5.25am Shoko was at the corner of 2nd Avenue and Samuel Parerinyatwa Street in Bulawayo on his way to Headquarters 1 Brigade when Sibanda approached him.

He initially threw a stone at him but missed. He allegedly instructed him to surrender his cellphone, wallet and bag, but he resisted.

It was the State’s case that Sibanda’s accomplice then approached Shoko from behind carrying a stone and also ordered him to surrender his belongings.

Sibanda later allegedly hit Shoko with a blunt object on the mouth and he fell down before his accomplice struck him with a stone on the head.

They allegedly dragged Shoko into the nearby bush and took his belongings, which included some grocery worth $9, cash amounting to R60 and a cellphone, before fleeing from the scene.

Shoko was later assisted by a kombi driver who took him to the police.

Shoko managed to identify Sibanda, leading to his arrest.