Man claims to have bullets lodged in his skull

A BIKITA man convicted for attacking cops claimed that two bullets fired at him by the officers were still lodged in his skull as he appealed for a lighter sentence in court.

Morgan Mukuwe, 35, made the claim in mitigation after he was convicted and sentenced to eight months imprisonment by Masvingo provincial magistrate Oliver Mudzongachiso.

He had been charged with inciting violence among illegal settlers at Doornfontein Farm leading to the attack on two bailiffs and the police officers who accompanied the court officials to enforce an eviction order.
Mukuwe argued that it was the police officers who attacked the settlers and left him for dead after they shot him twice.

He said the bailiffs arrived at the property in the company of two cops and ordered them to leave before starting to destroy their homes.

In ensuing melee, according to Makuwe, the police became aggressive and one of them produced a rifle which he fired towards Mukuwe, hitting him twice in the head, leaving two bullets lodged inside his skull.
However, magistrate Mudzongachiso was not convinced and sentenced Mukuwe to eight months imprisonment.

According to prosecutor Jimmy Nyamapfeni, on December 9 last year, two Messenger of Court officials, Sylvester Beji Ndebele and Joat Sibindi visited the farm to effect an eviction order.

The court officials were accompanied by two police officers, Sergeant Martin Musori and Constable Onismo Museva.

During the eviction, the four officials destroyed some huts built on the farm which incensed Mukuwe and other illegal settlers.

The settlers are said to have armed themselves with catapults, machetes, stones and slings which they used to attack the bailiffs and the policemen.

Sergeant Musori, in self-defence, fired a rifle shell towards Makuwe who then fled the scene together with the other settlers.

Mukuwe was later arrested after his relatives had gone to the police to report the alleged attack against him by the police officers.