A 22-year-old man, Tinotenda Chipadze, appeared before the Chegutu Magistrates’ Court on charges of murdering a police officer during a robbery.

The state alleges that on the 3rd of February 2024, around 2:00 AM, Chipadze and an accomplice, Enock who is still at large, followed the deceased officer, Elisha Munengerwa, from a bar in Chegutu to a bus terminus.

They then attacked him near a shop, stabbing him in the arm and stealing his phone before fleeing the scene.

A witness found Munengerwa critically injured and alerted the authorities, he was rushed to Chegutu hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police investigations led to Chipadze’s arrest after he sold the stolen phone.

He remains in custody while the search for Enock continues.

In a separate incident, police arrested three suspects for the brutal assault of a man accused of stealing sugarcane.

The victim, Beven Zenderani (25), was allegedly attacked by a group of men, including a minor, after they accused him and another person of stealing sugarcane.

A video of the assault circulated widely on social media, prompting police to launch an investigation.

The main suspect, James Gumbi (21), along with Hardlife Mananga (30) and Luckson Ruzive (30), were apprehended, while three other individuals remain at large.