A Zimbabwe Republic Police officer has been sentenced to an effective three years in prison after being convicted of brutally assaulting a motorist during an arrest at a roadblock near Bulawayo.
Constable Nosizi Sinyoro (33) was found guilty of assault by Bulawayo magistrate Courage Mudenda who condemned the growing trend of police brutality and said law enforcement officers must be held accountable when they abuse their authority.
The court heard that the incident occurred on 1 September 2025 at the Nyamandlovu turn-off along the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road, where Sinyoro and four other officers were manning a police roadblock.
According to prosecutor Samuel Mpofu, the officers stopped a vehicle driven by Bakhile Nkomo before an argument broke out between the motorist and the police.
The court heard that Sinyoro forcibly removed Nkomo from his vehicle and kicked him in the stomach.
The assault allegedly continued as Nkomo was being transported under arrest to Sauerstown Police Station.
Nkomo later began vomiting blood and was rushed to Mpilo Central Hospital where he was treated for life-threatening injuries.
Four other officers who were initially charged alongside Sinyoro were acquitted during the trial after successfully applying for discharge.
In his judgment, Magistrate Mudenda said the State had presented compelling evidence linking Sinyoro to the assault.
He noted that witnesses consistently identified only one officer as the perpetrator despite several officers being present at the scene.
“The complainant specifically identified Sinyoro as the person who assaulted him,” Mudenda said.
“If he had intended to falsely implicate the accused, he could easily have implicated all five officers.”
The magistrate said there was no apparent motive for Nkomo to falsely accuse Sinyoro and added that medical evidence corroborated the complainant’s account.
A second witness, Ryan Ncube also testified that Sinyoro was the only officer involved in the assault.
Mudenda further questioned the credibility of one police officer who testified in support of the defence after being cleared of the charges.
The magistrate described him as a “suspect witness”, saying his involvement in the matter raised concerns that he may have sought to shield his colleague from responsibility.
The court also heard that Sinyoro admitted making physical contact with Nkomo but claimed he was merely assisting him out of the vehicle.
However, the magistrate rejected that explanation finding that the evidence pointed to a violent assault.
While acknowledging that Sinyoro was a first-time offender with no previous convictions, Mudenda said the seriousness of the offence outweighed any mitigating factors.
“The offender attacked a defenceless victim in a demeaning manner. Cases of police brutality are on the rise,” he said.
“The offender held a position of authority. We expect police officers to protect and not harm civilians. A message has to be sent to the community that no one is above the law.”
Sinyoro was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment with one year suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour leaving him with an effective three-year jail term.
