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Nqobile Tshili and Mashudu Netsianda
A BINGA teacher was arrested for stealing a police uniform from his friend and using it to catch a free kombi ride to Bulawayo.

Thembalenkosi Ndlovu (26) of Kariangwe village was convicted on his own plea of guilty to impersonating a police officer and unlawful possession of camouflaged uniform by Bulawayo magistrate Mr Tinashe Tashaya.

A scruffy civilian belt and Timberland boots, which he wore with the police inspector’s uniform, sold him out. It is an offence to wear an incomplete police uniform.

Ndlovu was remanded in custody to today for sentencing. Ndlovu was travelling to Bulawayo from Binga.

Prosecuting, Miss Liane Nkomo said on May 8 this year at around 6.15am, the complainant, Mr Jabulani Mhlanga, a former police officer, was driving his commuter omnibus from Binga to Bulawayo when Ndlovu flagged down the car for a lift.

Mr Mhlanga stopped and picked Ndlovu who was clad in a police uniform.

The court heard that when Ndlovu got into the kombi, he was wearing an incomplete police uniform raising suspicion from the kombi driver.

“The accused person was wearing a pair of blue police (anti-riot) trousers with a civilian belt and shoes, a police shirt with badges for the rank of a police inspector,” said Miss Nkomo.

On arrival in Bulawayo, Mr Mhlanga drove the vehicle to Drill Hall Police Station intending to alert police.

“The kombi driver drove to Drill Hall Police Station to hand Ndlovu over to the police, but as they reached the station he jumped out of the vehicle and tried to flee, resulting in the police apprehending him,” said the prosecutor.

Mr Mhlanga reported the matter to the police.