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Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Court Reporter
THE sentencing of a Binga teacher who stole a police uniform from his friend and used it to catch a free kombi ride to Bulawayo, has been postponed to Monday after it emerged that he had previous convictions in Kadoma.
Thembalenkosi Ndlovu (26) of Kariangwe Village was convicted on his own plea of guilty to impersonating a police officer and unlawful possession of camouflaged uniform by Bulawayo magistrate Mr Tinashe Tashaya.
The prosecutor, Mr Nkathazo Dlodlo yesterday told the court that Ndlovu had previous convictions for the same offences at Kadoma magistrate’s court forcing the magistrate to postpone the sentencing.
A scruffy civilian belt and Timberland boots, which he wore with the police inspector’s uniform, sold him out. It is an offence to wear an incomplete police uniform.
Prosecuting, Mr Dlodlo said on Monday at around 615AM, the complainant, Mr Jabulani Mhlanga, a former police officer, was driving his commuter omnibus from Binga to Bulawayo when Ndlovu flagged down the car for a lift.
Mr Mhlanga stopped and picked Ndlovu who was clad in a police uniform. The court heard that when Ndlovu got into the kombi, he was wearing an incomplete police uniform raising suspicion from the kombi driver.
“The accused person was putting on a pair of blue riot police trousers with a civilian belt and shoes, a police shirt with badges for the rank of a police inspector,” said Mr Dlodlo.
On arrival in Bulawayo, Mr Mhlanga drove the vehicle to Drill Hall Police Station intending to alert police.
“The kombi driver drove to Drill Hall Police Station to hand Ndlovu over to the police, but as they reached the station he jumped out of the vehicle and tried to flee resulting in the police apprehending him,” said the prosecutor.
— @mashnets
Online Reporter