Online Reporter
Mthokozisi Ncube
IT was not a lawyer, witness or accused person who stole the show at the Bulawayo High Court last week.
It was a cat.
A brown stray cat brought court business to a standstill on 3 June after casually strolling into a courtroom and launching what witnesses described as a loud, heartbreaking concert of non-stop meows.
The unexpected visitor reportedly marched into the special sitting of the High Court as if it had a case of its own to argue.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), the cat’s dramatic performance became so disruptive that the judge had to briefly adjourn proceedings and order police officers to deal with the furry gatecrasher.
A comedy of horrors ensued.
Four police officers, four prison guards and the court caretaker teamed up in a determined mission to evict the stubborn feline.
But the cat was having none of it.
As officers closed in, curious members of the public gathered at the courtroom door to watch the unfolding drama.
The growing crowd only added fuel to the chaos.
Perhaps overwhelmed by its sudden fame, the cat bolted from behind the accused person’s dock and sprinted towards the judge’s table.
Court officials gave chase.
The cat gave them cardio.
In a move that would make any seasoned criminal proud, the furry fugitive then slipped beneath the judge’s bench and dug in for battle.
Every attempt to remove it was met with resistance.
The courtroom had effectively been seized.
After a lengthy stand-off, court officials admitted defeat.
The cat had won.
The courtroom was abandoned and proceedings had to be moved to another courtroom while the four-legged occupier remained firmly in control of its newly acquired territory.
For a brief moment, it appeared the cat was running the justice system.
Ironically, the courtroom takeover happened during the trial of 19-year-old Bright Tshuma of Nkulumane, who was facing a murder charge.
Despite the feline interruption, justice eventually prevailed.
After a full trial, Tshuma was convicted of murder for fatally stabbing a man with a Colombia CCCP AK47 knife.
He was sentenced to 20 years in prison. As for the mystery cat, its motives remain unknown.
