Four years later… four charged with murder of ‘naked man’

FOUR men appeared at the Bulawayo High Court facing a murder charge from a tragic 2020 high-speed chase in Bulawayo’s Hillside suburb during which Paul Munakopa lost his life.
Bigson Nyoni and Langton Makonye from ZRP Fairbridge Police Special Tactics Troop, and Ross Johnston and Kyle Bennet from the Hillside Neighbourhood Watch Committee all pleaded not guilty, and the trial was deferred for continuation to today by Bulawayo High Court judge, Justice Naison Chivayo.
The prosecution began by cross-examining their key witness, Miss Tracy Mufudze, who testified that the four accused failed to act professionally in executing their duties and must be held accountable for the crime. The defence counsels also cross-examined Miss Mufudze.
“They had no identification and two of them had their faces completely covered with only their eyes showing. We genuinely believed they were criminals intending to hijack us and that is why we fled,” she said.
Prosecutor, Miss Caroline Mabhena, told the court that the incident occurred on May 23, 2020, at around 10PM, and the four were on duty under ZRP Hillside patrolling the Ilanda and Malindela area.
“Accused one and two were armed with AK47 rifles with 30 rounds each. Accused three and four were not armed. They were on a motorised patrol using the accused’s three motor vehicles,” she said.
“While patrolling, they came across a black Honda Fit along Spencer Road in Malindela, which was driven by the deceased. The deceased was in the company of his girlfriend, Tracy Mufudze.
“The accused persons stopped the Honda Fit in a bid to carry out a search. The deceased did not stop and as a result, a high-speed chase ensued,” said Miss Mabhena.
She told the court that the four chased Munakopa and his girlfriend into Cecil Avenue towards Hillside suburb where they turned into Caithness Road.
“They caught up with the deceased at the intersection of Percy along Caithness. The deceased suddenly drove off at high speed and the first two accused persons fired gunshots at the motor vehicle injuring the deceased. The deceased was seriously injured and he was taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals for treatment where he later died on the 24th of May 2020 at around 4AM,” said Ms Mabhena.
She told the court that the State has since summoned other witnesses who will testify in the matter.
Miss Mabhena said the deceased’s vehicle had five bullet holes.
In their defence, the four, who were represented by Mr Kholwani Ngwenya of T J Mabhikwa and Partners and Mr Price Butshe of Mathonsi Mathonsi Ncube Law Chambers, respectively, said Munakopa sustained injuries when Nyoni and Makonye attempted to immobilise his vehicle and fled after being ordered to stop.
“He attempted to run over the first and second persons on different occasions when they sought to stop him following a high-speed chase,” said Mr Ngwenya.
“It was on the day in question that the first and second accused were part of three mobile teams that were deployed for an operation code-named ‘No to Unlawful Entry and Robbery Cases’.
“They were dressed in police uniform, which included blue riot trousers, blue jackets, green reflective vests and combat boots. Both 1st and 2nd accused were armed with AK 47 rifles,” said Mr Ngwenya.
He said the incident occurred during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic where lockdown measures were being implemented, including curfews.
He said the accused gave chase as they suspected that it must have been the black Honda Fit, which was said to have been involved in criminal activities in the area.
He alleged that when all the four accused disembarked from their vehicle Munakopa suddenly sped towards Nyoni who was in front of it intending to run over him.
He said after the shooting when all four accused persons approached Munakopa’s vehicle, they found the doors locked.
Mr Ngwenya said they forcibly opened the doors and found Munakopa stark naked on the driver’s seat bleeding on the arm and the shoulder suggesting that he could have sustained some injuries when his speeding motor vehicle was being immobilised.
“There was also a female passenger who was also naked. The accused persons then rendered first aid and further summoned an ambulance, and the now deceased was ferried to hospital,” he said.
“Evidently, there was no intention to cause the death of the now deceased. Moreover, there is no evidence that the injuries sustained by the now deceased, and his death was as a result of being shot as alleged by the State,” said Mr Ngwenya.