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Plaxcedes Hove Court Reporter
A policeman was left nursing a swollen face when a 33 year-old man from Bulawayo’s Njube suburb violently resisted arrest and gave him a thorough hiding.
The suspect, Israel Ncube was performing community service at Njube Police Station for assaulting his wife, when he defied a court order and battered her again.

On Thursday night police dispatched Constables Shepherd Musiniwa and Mayibongwe Ncube to arrest Ncube.

The mission turned into a nightmare when Ncube ran amok and punched Cst Musiniwa until he could not see through one eye.

Ncube appeared before Western Commonage Provincial magistrate Willard Maphios Moyo facing charges of assaulting a police officer and physical abuse.

He was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to October 27 as the police officer was said to be too injured to attend the court session.

Prosecuting Kingstone Mkanganwi said Ncube had been previously arrested and sentenced to do community service.

“Ncube was performing community service at ZRP Njube for a crime of physical abuse. While serving he abused his wife again and the police were trying to arrest him when he assaulted Musiniwa,” he said.

He said on Thursday night, Constable Musiniwa and Constable Mayibongwe Ncube proceeded to Ncube’s house to arrest him and he refused to be handcuffed promising to behave.

When they had walked for about 50 metres from where they had arrested him, Ncube ran away with the two police officers in hot pursuit.

When they caught him he turned on Const Musiniwa who was trying to handcuff him and unleashed a flurry of punches on his face, forcing him to retreat.

By the time Const Ncube intervened to restrain Ncube, the police officer’s eyes had already been swollen shut.

Ncube broke away and started running once again.

Cst Ncube gave chase with his injured colleague following at a distance.

He managed to overpower Ncube and finally put him in handcuffs. Ncube was arrested and detained for assaulting a police officer at Njube Police Station.

Though he was not asked to plead, Ncube denied assaulting the police officer.

“I admit that I refused to be handcuffed but I never assaulted a police officer. The police at Njube are the ones who assaulted me for no reason,” said Ncube.

His wife withdrew the physical abuse charge saying if he went to prison, the family would starve.

The woman said Ncube was abusive and would assault her for no apparent reason.

“If he was a drunkard, I would think it was the beer, but as it is I cannot afford to have him arrested. He is the breadwinner,” said the woman.