Death of Beitbridge cop: full details

Ellen Mlambo

BEITBRIDGE – A Beitbridge, Detective Sergeant Phikelela Ncube who died while on duty in the wee hours of today was attending to a scene where suspected thieves were trying to steal a solar panel from a house.
Sources at the scene said families at the house in SDP sent a distress call after realizing that intruders were in the yard. A team of Police officers including Ncube was dispatched to the scene.

Other members of the gang escaped but Gift Ndou, now also deceased was trapped on the roof. A resident then held Ndou from the roof while sergeant Ncube went up a washing line pole to try and apprehend the suspect as he was being brought down.
However, Ndou suddenly went for Ncube who was standing in a precarious position on the washing line pole and the latter fell on his back on a hard surface thereby cracking his head. He bled profusely and was taken to Beitbridge District Hospital where he died a few hours later.

Ndou was apprehended and taken to Beitbridge Police Station where he allegedly hung himself from a cell and died. Sources said he used his shirt to hang himself.
Matebeleland South Police spokesperson, Inspector Loveness Mangena confirmed the death to Two Nations.