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Tanaka Mrewa Court Reporter
A COP who was two timing his wife allegedly supplied his small house with a Zimbabwe Republic Police uniform to make his wife believe the woman was his workmate.

Edson Dzinavanhu was exposed after his girlfriend was arrested for theft and investigators discovered she was a fake cop.

A court in Bulawayo heard yesterday that the small house, Siphethile Sibanda, lied to her future in-laws that she was a police officer.

They believed her as she always wore the uniform to meet her lover, for close to one year.

Sibanda’s in-laws and Dzinavanhu’s family are said to be close but they were not aware of the affair.

Dzinavanhu pleaded not guilty to a charge of criminal abuse of duty as a police officer when he appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Mr Stephen Ndhlovu.

He was remanded out of custody to August 3.

Prosecuting, Miss Sibekithemba Dube said Dzinavanhu proposed love to Sibanda in November last year, promised her a police uniform and gave it to her two weeks later at his house.

“Accused took Sibanda to his house where she saw his uniform on top of a sewing machine. She tried it on and accused person promised to make her one of her own. He said it would be ready in two weeks,” said Miss Dube.

She added: “Two weeks later accused person called Sibanda to his house where he handed her the uniform. The uniforms comprised a pair of blue riot pants, grey shirt, special tactics unit cap, webbing belt detachable shoulder titles and ZRP badges for the rank of Constable.”

Miss Dube said Sibanda was arrested for a case of theft in Pumula suburb on July 17 this year.

She said Sibanda’s brother-in-law, under the impression that she was a police officer at Mbembesi, told the detectives that they had arrested one of their workmates.

Dzinavanhu denied supplying Sibanda with the uniform.

He said when he first went to Sibanda’s house last year in February, he found her already having the uniform.

Dzinavanhu said his girlfriend misled the court when she said they started dating in November.

“She said she was an officer at Mbembesi. I only learnt that she was a bogus cop after I was called by CID officers at Nkulumane police station,” he said.

In her testimony in court, Sibanda said she told Dzinavanhu that she had always wished to be a police officer.

She said when he gave her the uniform, he said it would protect her from his wife.

“He said if I wear the uniform she won’t hit me because it’s illegal to hit an officer in uniform. I was reluctant to wear the uniform but he said there was nothing to be afraid of.” Sibanda said.

She added: “He coached me on how to give out my force number in case I met senior officials. He said when I give out my force number I should call it out in single digits and that I should always remember that the digits start with a double nine.”

Sibanda kept the gallery spellbound throughout her testimony.