BULAWAYO, June 5，2026 (NewsDay Live) - A stray cat stormed into the Bulawayo High Court building and started growling loudly during a murder case hearing early this week, forcing the presiding judge to briefly adjourn proceedings as officials battled to eject the pet.
The incident occurred Wednesday afternoon during the trial of 19-year-old Bright Tshuma of Nkulumane, who was facing a murder charge.
"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 judge had to take a brief adjournment, instructing that the police attend to the cat that was continuously crying," said the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe in a statement.
As if unsettled by the growing crowds drawn to the scene by the bizarre incident, "the cat neatly tucked itself under the judge's bench and responded in a hostile manner to further attempts made to remove it."
Proceedings later resumed in an alternative courtroom where Tshuma was convicted of murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
