Online Reporter
Danisa Masuku
A POPULAR Bulawayo bouncer, who previously faced assault charges after allegedly beating two men at a nightclub in 2016 has landed in court again, this time accused of repeatedly smashing a man with stones until he collapsed unconscious.
Jackson Mwanza of Thorngrove appeared before Bulawayo Regional Magistrate Ms Sibonginkosi Mkandla on Thursday facing an attempted murder charge.
He was remanded in custody to 7 October.
The latest case has brought back a 2016 court case in which Mwanza, then working as a bouncer at Private Lounge, faced two counts of assault.
In that case, Mwanza was accused of assaulting a doctor and a police officer at the nightclub on the same night. The doctor allegedly suffered serious injuries after Mwanza slapped him several times and pushed him to the ground.
The police officer, who was based at Mpilo Central Hospital’s police post, also told the court that Mwanza attacked him with open hands and fists after allegedly accusing him of dozing off at the club.
Mwanza denied the allegations at the time, telling the court that the doctor had been behaving inappropriately towards a stripper and that he was simply doing his job. He also accused the complainants of fabricating medical reports.
Eight years later, Mwanza is back before the courts facing a far more serious allegation.
Prosecuting, Ms Nkanyezi Xaba alleged that on 27 September at around 3.30pm along Station Road in Thorngrove, Mwanza attacked Ricky Chimwemwe Tembo with a stone.
“The accused person hit the complainant Ricky Chimwemwe Tembo with a stone, once on the forehead and then the complainant fell to the ground.
“The accused did not stop. The accused person reached for stones and mounted on top of complainant hitting him with a stone several times on the head and face. The complainant bled profusely and fell unconscious,” the court heard.
Tembo allegedly sustained serious injuries to the head and was rushed to Mpilo Central Hospital for treatment.
Mwanza was not asked to plead to the charge.
The latest case comes against a wider backdrop of violence allegations involving people working as bouncers and nightclub security personnel.
In January this year, another popular Bulawayo bouncer, Tinashe “Mhofu” Marima, appeared in court with a co-accused facing an assault charge after a 49-year-old man was allegedly attacked at Queenspark West shops. The State alleged that Marima slapped the man before he was allegedly punched, kicked and assaulted by the two accused.
In 2022, two Harare nightclub bouncers, Gideon Sanyangore and Blessing Kumunda, were arrested and charged with attempted murder after an incident at Pabloz Night Club in which they were accused of attacking security guards. Police later said additional assault complaints had been lodged against the pair.
And in June 2022, nightclub security guards in Beitbridge were accused of assaulting a patron who allegedly strayed into a staff-only area. The victim suffered a depressed skull fracture, with police sources saying the guards could face attempted murder charges.
The cases have put renewed focus on the conduct of nightclub security personnel, whose job is to maintain order but who can face criminal charges when alleged interventions turn violent.
Mwanza remains in custody pending his next court appearance.
Blessing Chizhande