A 43-year-old male suspected thief wailed noisily and dropped his jeans to show some Harare Magistrate’s Court officials and visitors his private parts which were torn by dogs while trying to steal.
Chamunorwa Dick (43) of Harare’s Kambuzuma suburb also had the misfortune of failing to get any treatment as Zimbabwean doctors are still going ahead with their strike.
Dick suffered the ordeal during an attack by three vicious dogs.
When he came to court under police escort Friday, people who were at the court’s grounds left their positions and rushed to catch a glimpse as he freely displayed his privates to onlookers.
“We went with him to hospital yesterday (Thursday) but he did not get any medication or assistance. The doctors were said to be on strike. So, we had no option but to take him back to the police station,” said a source who seemed to be privy to circumstances surrounding the incident.
Dick displayed some deep wounds which stretched to the backside, anal area and thighs.
“Maiwee! Musandipfekedze! Ndarwadziwa (please do not dress me, I’m in pain!),” he screamed as one of his relatives tried to pull his jeans up.
Dick, who was walking barefoot, was also still bleeding from his feet.
He also sustained scratches and several dog bites all over the body.
The suspect was unable to walk and was being assisted by officers who brought him to court, two relatives and his wife.
According to the state, the suspect had allegedly used a rod to fish out cell phones and clothes from various houses before the dogs pounced on him.
He met his ordeal when he tried to steal from one house whose occupant heard his movements before she screamed for help.
In attempts to flee, Dick jumped over the precast wall to the next house where he was ravaged by the dogs.
He faces two counts of unlawful entry in aggravating circumstances.
Presiding magistrate Victoria Mashamba later remanded him out of custody to January 11 on free bail.
Prosecutor Sebastian Mutizirwa alleged that on December 27 at around 3am, a Melissa Manuwere was sleeping when she heard one Tawanda Matanhire screaming that there was a thief in the vicinity.
Matanhire allegedly saw Dick stealing through the window.
When Manuwere woke up, she saw a long stick which Dick allegedly used to steal her phone being pulled out of the window.
Court heard that Manuwere and other neighbours gave chase, with Dick jumping into the dog yard.
When police later arrived at the scene, they searched the suspect and found him armed with an okapi knife and a catapult.
He was allegedly caught with a pair of slopes, a pair of trousers, two t-shirts and suspected duplicate keys which he allegedly fished out from a Victor Manuwere who was sleeping in the other room.
He was escorted to ZRP Warren Park where a report was filed.
