A police officer in Zimbabwe has been convicted and sentenced for assaulting a schoolteacher during a criminal investigation in Chiredzi. The officer, Owen Manjengwa, was found guilty of assault after attacking the teacher with open hands and a baton stick, causing internal injuries.
According to a bulletin issued by the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) on 8 May 2025, the assault occurred on 21 February 2024 at around 3PM at Mhlanguledzi Primary School in Chikombedzi. Manjengwa, who is stationed at Chikombedzi Police Station, approached the teacher as part of an investigation into a case of unlawful entry reported the previous day.
“The offender… informed the victim that he was under arrest. The complainant denied the allegations, and the offender then assaulted him,” the NPAZ stated. The teacher was reportedly beaten on the buttocks with a baton stick and struck with open hands on the face, leading to internal injuries.
Following his trial at the Chikombedzi Magistrates’ Court, the 40-year-old officer was fined US$200. In the event he fails to pay the fine, he will serve a 90-day prison sentence. Additionally, the magistrate imposed a four-month prison term, which was wholly suspended for five years on condition that Manjengwa does not commit a similar offence during that period.
