A police officer was attacked by three men on Tuesday after being spotted at a lodge with a woman he had been counselling, following a tip-off.
Constable Blessing Mutoko, 33, from the Victim Friendly Unit at Budiriro Police Station, was rushed to Harare Central Hospital with injuries sustained during the assault. The men involved were later identified as Charles Jamba, 66, Joseph Jamba, 38, and Tinashe Magumve, 21.
Mutoko had been working on a domestic violence case involving the couple. After exchanging contact information with the woman, he allegedly developed an inappropriate relationship with her, which led to a meeting at Dombo Lodge, near the police station. Following the encounter, the two went their separate ways.
The woman’s husband and his relatives later confronted Mutuko while he was off duty and demanded an explanation. Sensing danger, he attempted to escape by boarding a commuter omnibus. The three men followed him, forcibly pulled him from the vehicle, and assaulted him. Mutuko sustained multiple injuries, including a cut on his nose and swelling to his face.
A bystander intervened and reported the attack to Budiriro Police, which led to the arrest of the assailants. Mutuko was later referred to Sally Mugabe Hospital for further medical attention.
The incident has been officially recorded under RRB 6698354, although national police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi was unavailable for comment.
An eyewitness criticized Mutuko’s conduct, noting that counselling requires professionalism. “Mutuko was jeered at for his handling of the domestic violence case. Counselling requires professionalism, and this officer not only failed to demonstrate that but also misused the contact details of the counselee,” the witness said.
