Bulawayo’s State House was thrust into the spotlight recently after a police officer accidentally shot himself in the knee while on duty, raising questions about firearm handling and maintenance within the Police Protection Unit (PPU). The incident has since moved into the courts, where 36-year-old officer Dubani Munkuli is facing charges of negligently discharging a firearm.
Munkuli appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Challenge Mahembe, where he pleaded not guilty to the allegations. Through his legal counsel, the officer maintained that the shooting was not the result of carelessness but rather a possible fault with the weapon he had been issued.
Munkuli’s lawyer told the court that the CZ pistol could have fired on its own due to poor maintenance, a possibility he argued should not be overlooked.
“We do not know the service history of this pistol. It could have misfired on its own, and that should not be considered negligence on my client’s part,” the lawyer argued, suggesting that police armoury officials may have failed in their duty to properly maintain service weapons.
The defence pushed hard on the question of when the firearm had last undergone official inspection or servicing, raising broader concerns about whether outdated or poorly maintained firearms are being deployed by law enforcement officers tasked with protecting high-security installations such as State House.
State House Police Officer Munkuli Faces Trial After Accidental Shooting
However, the prosecution countered with expert testimony. A ballistic expert told the court that firearms, including the CZ model in question, cannot discharge on their own.
“A gun cannot fire by itself. It requires someone to engage the trigger mechanism,” the expert testified, effectively dismissing the notion that a mechanical fault was solely responsible for the shooting.
The prosecution maintains that Munkuli’s mishandling of the weapon directly caused the discharge, thus constituting negligence while on duty.
Court documents revealed that the incident occurred on the night of May 15, while Munkuli was on duty at State House in Bulawayo alongside fellow officer Simbarashe Manombe. At around 11:20 p.m., Munkuli reportedly stood up from his seat while holding his service pistol with both hands as he prepared to go to the toilet.
It was during this movement that the weapon discharged a round, which struck him in the knee. The injury left him incapacitated and in need of urgent medical care, effectively cutting short his shift.
The State argues that had Munkuli adhered to firearm safety protocols—such as ensuring the weapon was secured properly—this mishap would have been avoided.
Despite the expert’s testimony, the defence succeeded in introducing doubt over whether the firearm had been regularly serviced. Munkuli’s lawyer pressed the ballistic expert on the gun’s service history, but the expert conceded that he did not have those records on hand.
This gap has allowed the defence to argue that equipment reliability remains an open question. The point could resonate beyond the case itself, as it touches on broader concerns about the resources and systems in place to maintain weapons used by officers assigned to protect critical state facilities.
The incident has not only attracted courtroom attention but also sparked lively debate in Bulawayo. Locals have reacted with a mix of shock and humour, with some joking that “instead of stopping criminals, the cop caught himself.”
Others, however, have raised serious concerns, warning that if poorly maintained firearms remain in circulation, other officers could also be at risk. “If a service weapon can go off while an officer is holding it properly, what does that say about the safety of our police force?” one resident remarked.
For now, Munkuli has been remanded out of custody and is expected to return to court on August 25 for the continuation of his trial. His fate rests on whether the magistrate believes the shooting was the result of negligence or an unavoidable mishap tied to the state of his service weapon.
As the case unfolds, it is likely to highlight ongoing challenges within Zimbabwe’s policing system, particularly around officer training, firearm safety, and equipment maintenance. For the PPU, a unit tasked with safeguarding the highest office in the land, the incident has been an embarrassing blemish—one that has already ignited broader discussions about standards and accountability in law enforcement.
Source- ZimEye
