A 54-year-old man from Mpopoma, Bulawayo, Simbarashe Gurajena, has been fined US$120 after being found guilty of insulting police officers at Pumula Police Station.
He accused the officers of not taking adequate action to find his missing son.
Gurajena pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in a public space and was sentenced by Western Commonage Magistrate Mehluli Moyo. Along with the fine, Gurajena received a four-month prison sentence. Two months of the sentence were suspended for three years on the condition that he does not commit a similar offence, while the remaining two months will be suspended if he pays the fine by 30 March.
In delivering the sentence, Magistrate Moyo took into account Gurajena’s age and the emotional distress caused by his missing child. However, the magistrate emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and discouraging violent behaviour. “The court aims to send a strong message that violence or disorderly conduct will not be tolerated in the community,” Moyo said, as quoted by The Chronicle.
The incident occurred on January 11, 2025, at Pumula Police Station, where Gurajena confronted the officers in frustration. Prosecutor Ellen Matenga reported that Gurajena knocked on the crime office door and shouted angrily at the officers. He accused them of failing to do their job, saying in Shona, “You police officers are getting paid for nothing from our tax money, yet you do not want to look for my son when it is your duty.”
Matenga added that Gurajena also insulted Assistant Inspector Ngwenya, accusing him of being involved in drug dealing, which he believed was preventing the police from acting on his case.
In his defence, Gurajena explained that he had been under significant stress due to the lack of progress in finding his missing son, which led to his outburst at the police station.
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