The
incident
allegedly
occurred
when
Sabelo
Dube,
who
had
been
sent
to
the
shops
in
Lukona,
was
caught
in
a
crossfire
as
police
released
dogs
to
disperse
a
crowd
gathered
at
the
shops.
In
an
interview
with
CITE,
Sabelo’s
uncle,
Collen
Mpofu,
explained
that
the
police,
accompanied
by
their
dogs,
were
deployed
to
the
area
following
news
of
a
gold
discovery
at
a
nearby
claim
in
Kenilworth.
“There
is
gold
that
was
discovered
in
Kenilworth,
and
it
seems
the
police,
under
the
instruction
of
one
Dumisani
who
oversees
the
mine
left
to
him
by
his
father,
were
directed
to
go
to
that
place.
The
police
arrived
at
Lukona
shops
with
dogs,
and
people
who
were
seated
there
started
running
away.
Sabelo,
who
had
been
sent
to
the
shops,
was
caught
in
that
chaos
and
was
severely
bitten
by
the
dogs,”
Mpofu
said.
The
uncle
said
after
the
attack,
the
police
were
seen
searching
for
Sabelo,
possibly
to
assist
him.
“It
seems
he
wasn’t
the
only
one
who
was
bitten;
other
elderly
people
were
attacked
as
well,”
he
noted.
Sabelo
was
taken
to
Lukona
Clinic,
where
staff
determined
that
his
wounds
were
too
severe
and
transferred
him
to
Nyathi
Hospital.
“When
the
family
stopped
by
the
police
station
in
Nyathi
for
a
police
report
of
the
incident,
the
police
recorded
that
the
boy
was
bitten
by
the
dogs
at
the
mine
instead
of
at
the
shops.
The
mine
is
2km
from
the
shops,
and
to
access
the
mine,
you
have
to
pass
by
the
shops,”
the
uncle
said,
accusing
police
of
misreporting
the
circumstances.
“The
police
hadn’t
even
reached
the
mine
at
the
time
of
the
incident.
Sabelo’s
mother
only
realised
later
while
at
the
hospital
that
the
police
had
misreported
the
location
of
the
incident,”
Mpofu
also
mentioned
that
Nyathi
Hospital
had
intended
to
admit
Sabelo,
but
due
to
the
high
transport
costs
and
the
distance
from
home,
the
family
opted
to
have
his
dressings
done
at
Lukona
Clinic.
“One
injection
costs
US$20,
so
he
is
being
treated
at
home,”
he
said.
Mpofu
also
revealed
that
other
people
who
were
bitten
by
the
police
dogs,
included
another
relative
of
theirs,
Kholwani
Khabo,
who
sustained
worse
injuries
than
Sabelo.
“We
have
another
relative,
Kholwani
Khabo
who
has
worse
wounds
but
he
has
now
been
arrested.
After
he
was
bitten
by
the
dogs
and
when
police
went
to
him,
they
searched
and
found
imbanje
(mariuana)
in
his
pocket,
so
they
are
now
focusing
on
that
charge.
He
appeared
in
court
today,”
said
Mpofu.
Sabelo’s
mother,
Priscila
Nkomazana
expressed
her
frustration
over
the
police’s
misrepresentation
of
the
incident.
“I
had
sent
my
son
to
the
shops.
What’s
not
true
about
the
police
report
is
that
they
claimed
my
child
was
at
the
mine.
Other
villagers
even
testified
that
he
was
at
the
shops.
This
does
not
sit
well
with
me.
I
only
noticed
while
waiting
for
a
doctor
that
the
police
had
recorded
wrong
information,
saying
Sabelo
was
found
at
the
mine.
Other
villagers
saw
him
as
well
and
are
testifying
that
he
was
at
the
shops,”
she
said.
Meanwhile,
Nkomazana
said
Sabelo
was
given
four
injections
against
rabies
and
will
receive
additional
ones
after
seven
days.
“Sabelo
will
be
going
to
the
clinic
daily
for
wound
treatment
since
the
wounds
need
more
attention
than
just
water
and
betadine,”
said
the
mother.
She
also
claimed
that
the
police
had
requested
her
personal
details
but
had
not
contacted
her
since.
When
contacted
for
comment
Matabeleland
North
Provincial
Police
Spokesperson
Inspector
Glory
Banda
said
he
was
in
Harare
and
referred
queries
to
the
acting
police
spokesperson
Sergeant
Namatirai
Mashona
who
stated
she
was
attending
a
funeral.