Prison officer in 'knifepoint robbery'

A PRISON officer has appeared in court for allegedly robbing a Bulawayo man of his phone and $10 at knifepoint before assaulting him.

Shylock Tshuma, who is stationed at Khami Prison, appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Tinashe Tashaya and pleaded not guilty to one count of robbery.

Magistrate Tashaya remanded Tshuma in custody to April 15.

Prosecuting, Denmore Kasenza, alleged that on April 3 at around 5AM, Nkosizwile Masuku was walking along Herbert Chitepo and 4th Avenue when Tshuma approached him.

"Tshuma was in the company of three accomplices who are on the run. One of the men was armed with an okapi knife which they used to instill fear in Masuku," said Kasenza.

"As one of the men held the knife, the other three assaulted Masuku and took away his cellphone and $10 and disappeared into thin air. Masuku, however spotted Tshuma."

The court heard that Masuku met Tshuma during a beer drinking binge five days later and managed to identify him.

"Masuku notified the police leading to Tshuma's arrest. He failed to recover his phone and the stolen cash," he said.

Recently, another prison guard and a former police detective connived with a notorious criminal to steal $45,000 from Filabusi Post Office in Gwanda. The three suspects appeared before the Gwanda magistrates' court facing unlawful entry and theft charges.

Mondli Dube, 23, a guard at Grey Prison in Bulawayo and Shepard Makwikwi, 39, were each granted $300 bail and ordered to report every Monday and Friday at Bulawayo Central Police Station.

Alleged kingpin of the robbery bid, Witness Hlongwane, 29, was refused bail as he is facing similar charges in Bulawayo after he allegedly used the same tactic to rob a city supermarket.