Cop shoots self in knee drama

A POLICE officer stationed at the Police Protection Unit (PPU) has found himself in the dock after a bizarre shooting incident left him with a bullet wound in the knee.

Dubani Munkuli (36) appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Challenge Mahembe facing charges of negligently discharging a firearm. He pleaded not guilty.

Through his lawyer, Munkuli denied cocking or firing the CZ pistol, claiming the weapon may have discharged on its own due to poor maintenance.

"The service history of this State pistol is unknown. It may have gone off because of a mechanical fault, and it is not the accused's duty to ensure servicing. That cannot be negligence on his part," his lawyer argued.

But a ballistic expert dismissed that line of defence, insisting: "A firearm cannot discharge on its own. That is impossible unless someone presses the trigger."

Pressed further, the expert admitted he did not know when the weapon was last serviced — giving the defence an opening to maintain that lack of maintenance could have been to blame.

The court heard that the incident occurred on 15 May this year while Munkuli was deployed at State House in Bulawayo alongside fellow officer Simbarashe Manombe.

At around 11.20pm, Munkuli allegedly stood up to go to the toilet while holding his firearm with both hands. In the process, he discharged a round that tore through his knee, leaving him bleeding on duty.

He was remanded out of custody to 25 August for continuation of trial.

The shooting has since sparked jokes across Bulawayo, with some quipping that "instead of catching criminals, the cop caught himself," while others remarked that "these old guns are now so tired they're shooting their owners."

Meanwhile, within the force, some officers have quietly admitted that poorly serviced State-issued firearms pose a serious risk — a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.