Police Officers Alleged to Thieves who Stole Head of Cattle.

Two Binga police officers have been implicated in the theft of three head of cattle by a local villager in Siabuwa.

The two police officers are said to have connived in the crime with Edward Muzamba (40) of Siamankulu village Naganga area, Siabuwa.

Muzamba was not asked to plead to a count of stocktheft when he appeared before Binga magistrate Urgent Vundla following his arrest last week.

He was remanded in custody to next week.

Muzamba, a chairperson for the Siabuwa Business Against Stocktheft forum, implicated the two Constables Honest Masakara (29) and Sharp Simweru (37), both stationed at Siabuwa Police Station.

The two reside at Siabuwa Primary School and Guteni village respectively.

According to court documents, the trio is facing a count of stocktheft each.

Allegations are that they stole five head of cattle belonging to Jertha Muzingili (59) of Guteni village in December last year.

“On 12 December 2019, Muzingili drove her seven head of cattle to Tundazi mountain grazing area where she left them for grazing.

“When she returned to round them up in the afternoon, she found two while the other five were missing,” said prosecutor Quiet Mpofu.

Muzingili later filed a report of missing cattle at the police station after failing to locate her beasts a few days later.

During the month of December, some unnamed villagers delivered five beasts to Muzamba so he could keep them as chairperson of the anti-stocktheft forum waiting to locate the owner.

As chairperson, villagers would surrender to him stray livestock so he could report to the police while efforts were being made to locate the owner.

The cattle belonged to Muzingili.

Muzamba notified the police about the stray cattle on 2 January and Simweru and Masakara were assigned to investigate the case.

Simweru allegedly recorded only two beasts in the lost and found book and allegedly connived with Muzamba and Masakara to conceal the other three which they shared one each.

In June, Muzingili got wind that her cattle were once seen at Muzamba’s homestead and went to investigate. She positively identified two of her cattle at Muzamba’s homestead.

Muzamba had sold his share. Investigations led to the arrest of Muzamba who implicated the two cops who are yet to be arrested.