Bulawayo – A domestic violence call in Bulawayo’s Sizinda suburb turned tragic yesterday morning when a police officer responding to the distress call was fatally shot. Sergeant Abel Masava (43), stationed at ZRP Tshabalala, was shot in the head and died while being rushed to hospital.
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident and stated that investigations were underway. The shooting occurred at approximately 00:30 hours, and the suspects disappeared into the darkness immediately after the attack.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police is investigating the fatal shooting of a police officer in Sizinda suburb, Bulawayo, on March 28, 2025. The officer was in a police vehicle with a colleague,” said Comm Nyathi.
According to police reports, the officers were responding to a domestic violence complaint when the incident occurred. Upon arriving at the residence, the officers discovered that the gate was locked. While the other officer, identified only as Constable Magaya, was knocking on the gate, Sergeant Masava, who was leaning against the police vehicle, noticed five men dressed in black walking past.
Sergeant Masava, acting on his instincts, stopped the men, requesting identification and inquiring about their movements. It was at this point that one of the men produced a firearm and shot Sergeant Masava in the head. He collapsed, and the suspects immediately fled the scene.
Constable Magaya promptly reported the incident to the Officer-in-Charge at ZRP Tshabalala, triggering a swift response. Officers from the station, the Dog Section, and the Criminal Investigation Department’s Homicide Unit were dispatched to the scene. They found Sergeant Masava lying on the ground outside the gate where they had intended to assist the caller. He was still breathing at the time.
Sergeant Masava was rushed to United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH), but tragically, he was pronounced dead on arrival. An investigation into the fatal shooting is currently underway, and authorities are appealing to the public for any information that may lead to the arrest of the suspects.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police is appealing for information that may lead to the arrest of the suspects,” said Comm Nyathi.
Residents of Sizinda said they heard the gunshots but were too frightened to investigate at the time.
“It happened in the dead of the night. We heard a loud crack like a gunshot, followed by the sound of people running. We didn’t dare come out to see what was happening because we were terrified. We only noticed later a heavy police presence and knew something serious had occurred. In the morning, we saw blood near the gate of the house where the incident took place,” said a resident who refused to be named, highlighting the fear and insecurity that has gripped the community.
Details from an internal police memo of the incident, seen by ZimLive, further corroborate the sequence of events. The memo states that Sergeant Abel Masava, who was based at Tshabalala Police Station, was attending a domestic violence incident and was standing next to a police vehicle when he saw a group of five men wearing dark clothing approaching.
Masava, according to police, stopped the men and asked them where they were coming from and requested that they identify themselves. “One of them pointed a firearm and shot Sergeant Masava on the head… He was rushed to the United Bulawayo Hospitals where he was confirmed dead upon admission,” the memo stated.
Masava was wearing his police uniform when he was shot, underscoring the brazen nature of the attack and the disregard for law and order displayed by the perpetrators.
The slain cop had earlier left the police station with another police officer after being called to a house in Sizinda where a woman reported being assaulted by her husband. The second officer, the domestic violence victim, and her friend were negotiating entry into the house when Masava, who had remained standing next to the vehicle outside, was shot, leaving them in a state of shock and disbelief.
