Further remand for son ‘killer’ cop

By Yemurai Ushamba

An anti-riot police officer from Bulawayo who allegedly strangled his three-year-old son and claimed the boy died due to injuries sustained after falling off the stairs has been further remanded out of custody.

Albert Nhenda (33), a Constable in the Echo Troop ZRP Support Unit stationed at Fairbridge Police Camp, allegedly made a false police report that his son, Makhosiwonke, fell on steps which are about 30 centimetres high at the entrance to his home at Mpopoma suburb in September.

Nhenda is represented by Pundu and Partners.

Western Commonage magistrate Mr Lungile Ncube further remanded Nhenda on routine remand to December 5 for provision of trial date from the High Court.

The State represented by Mr Kenneth Shava said they were also waiting for State papers.

He appeared first appeared in court on October 2 and was remanded out of custody on $300 bail.

Nhenda was arrested after a postmortem done on Makhosiwonke at the United Bulawayo Hospitals concluded that the cause of death was strangulation and asphyxia.

It is alleged that Nhenda sent the mother of the child, Ms Cathrine Ndlovu (22) from Filabusi, to the city centre to purchase clothes for their child since she had visited with one set of clothes.

When Ms Ndlovu left, Nhenda allegedly sent the maid to buy some drinks at Total shops.

It is believed that it is during this time that Nhenda strangled his son. He called his friend from Magwegwe to help him ferry the child to hospital. Along the way, he suddenly “discovered” the child had died.

Nhenda and his friend drove to Western Commonage Police Station and made a report and the matter was treated as a sudden death.

A postmortem was done at the United Bulawayo Hospitals and the cause of death was concluded as strangulation and asphyxia and this led to further investigations by the police. The Chronicle