TWO Bulawayo vendors accused of assaulting a police officer after being forced to open their secondhand clothes bales, yesterday appeared at the Bulawayo Magistrates’ Court charged with assaulting or resisting a peace officer.
BY SILAS NKALA
The alleged incident occurred last Saturday.
Thembelihle Ndlovu (32) and Zwelithini Bhebhe (36) were not asked to plead when they appeared before Magistrate Tinashe Tashaya who remanded them out of custody to next Tuesday for trial.
According to court papers, the two men allegedly assaulted Messias Thomas after the latter allegedly forced them to open their secondhand clothes bales in the city centre.
The State alleges on the day in question, Thomas was on duty with other two police officers hunting down property smugglers in the city centre at City Hall vending site.
It is alleged the three officers were in civilian clothing and when they saw Bhebhe sitting in a car they identified themselves as police officers before asking to search the vehicle.
The State further alleges, the officers found sealed bales of secondhand clothes and demanded to see what was contained inside. Bhebhe allegedly opened the bales with his knife before inviting Ndlovu and another vendor, who is still at large, to draw closer to the car.
At that juncture, it is alleged, the three vendors attacked Thomas with open hands several times on his body. As a result, Thomas sustained some bruises.
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Other police officers intervened and arrested Ndlovu and Bhebhe while the other suspect took to his heels and disappeared from the scene.
