Story by Silence Mugadzaweta
A stray cat brought proceedings at the Bulawayo High Court to an unexpected halt after storming a courtroom, unleashing a loud wail and refusing to leave, forcing a judge to temporarily adjourn a murder trial.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), the bizarre incident unfolded during a special sitting of the High Court on June 3 while the trial of a murder suspect was underway.
“There was drama at the Bulawayo High Court special sitting on the 3rd of June 2026 when a brown stray cat slowly walked into the courtroom and unleashed a mournful, ear-piercing wail, disrupting proceedings,” the NPAZ said in its weekly bulletin.
The unexpected visitor quickly became the centre of attention after its persistent cries interrupted court business.
Faced with the disruption, the presiding judge briefly adjourned proceedings and directed police officers to deal with the feline intruder.
What followed was a scene more suited to a comedy sketch than a courtroom.
The NPAZ said “a comical scene unfolded” as four police officers, four prison guards and the court caretaker attempted to remove the distressed animal.
Instead of leaving quietly, the cat appeared overwhelmed by the growing crowd that had gathered at the courtroom entrance to witness the spectacle.
“The growing audience only worsened the cat’s stage fright,” the NPAZ said.
As officers closed in, the animal dashed across the courtroom, sprinting from behind the accused person’s dock to the judge’s table before taking refuge beneath the judge’s bench.
The cat then dug in for what the NPAZ described as a “hostile takeover” of the courtroom, resisting repeated attempts to remove it.
“The cat neatly tucked itself under the judge’s bench and responded in a hostile manner to further attempts made to remove it,” the authority said.
After efforts to evict the determined intruder failed, court officials abandoned the courtroom altogether and relocated proceedings to another venue.
“It was successful in its hostile takeover of the courtroom which was then abandoned and the matter continued to be heard in a different courtroom,” the NPAZ said.
The unusual interruption occurred during the trial of Bright Tshuma (19) of Nkulumane, Bulawayo, who was facing a murder charge after allegedly stabbing the deceased with a Colombia CCCP AK47 knife.
Despite the feline disruption, the case proceeded to conclusion.
The NPAZ said Tshuma was ultimately found guilty of murder following a full trial and sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment.
While the accused’s fate was sealed, the whereabouts and future of Bulawayo’s most notorious courtroom crasher remained unknown.
