Lethokuhle Moyo Chronicle Reporter
TOUTS at an illegal rank in Nkulumane on Sunday meted out mob justice on a man suspected to be a bogus police officer, who was demanding bribes from kombi crews.
Members of the public joined in raining blows on the ‘fake’ police officer at Nketa 6 until he begged for mercy.
The man, who had identified himself as Constable B Moyo stationed at West Commonage, was apprehended after passengers questioned his credentials.
They said he was so drunk he could hardly stand on his feet, was scruffy and wore a pair of rafters.

“He produced a police identity card that had a faded police force number and name. When the passengers and drivers from other commuter omnibuses searched him to ascertain his true identity, they found only a dollar note and herb wrapped in a python skin,” said one of the passengers.

One of the touts who beat up the “cop” said they were alerted by a colleague who told them there was a drunk police officer demanding a bribe from him.
He said they confronted the man and demanded to speak to his superiors at Western Commonage and he became evasive.

“We began suspecting he was a fake police officer. He tried to run away but we caught him and carried him back to the kombi where we searched him and found the herb.”

When news spread at the illegal pick up point that a bogus policeman had been apprehended, a mob quickly gathered and beat him up.
He was rescued by the kombi crew that said the crowd should not take the law into its hands.

“We immediately drove him to Central Police Station as we felt that this was the only way we could get to the bottom of the matter,” said one of the kombi drivers who declined to be named.

A Chronicle newscrew observed the man trying to get away from the kombi crew in the city centre on Sunday night.
They grabbed him and pushed him back into the vehicle and drove to Bulawayo Central Police Station where they surrendered him.

Acting Bulawayo Police Spokesperson Assistant Insp Abedinico Ncube declined to comment.

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