45-year-old nabbed for breaking into CBD shops

A 45-year-old man from Cowdray Park suburb who allegedly went on a burglary spree at a shopping mall in Bulawayo’s central business district, stealing laptops and cash worth thousands of dollars has appeared in court.

Thabisani Ndlovu allegedly engaged in criminal activity in the company of two other accomplices who are still at large.

Ndlovu appeared before Bulawayo provincial magistrate Mr Maxwell Ncube facing six counts of theft and he was remanded in custody to today pending trial.

In his initial appearance, the accused claimed that he suffered brutality at the hands of the police, prompting the magistrate to initiate an inquiry into the allegations.

Prosecuting, Ms Dorcas Maphosa, said Ndlovu with his accomplices hatched a plan to break into shops at Royal Arcade Shopping Mall.

“On October 31, last year, Ndlovu and the other two at large broke into Jubilant Sibanda’s shop at Royal Arcade, Corner Fort Street and 9th Avenue, Bulawayo, and stole two Dell Latitude laptops,” she said.

The court heard that on the same day and at the same mall, the accused broke into another shop belonging to Priscilla Tsvetu and stole a Tip laptop. While on their ravenous thieving spree, they went on to break into Sithokozile Thusi’s shop and stole US$833, seven computer backup power batteries, three Wahl hair clippers, an HP laptop, and a gaming keyboard.

“They then broke into Francis Zendegwa’s shop and made off with US$737 and R300. They proceeded to Kelvin T Phiri’s shop where they broke in and stole US$300 which was in an unlocked cash box and a Redmi cell phone,” said Ms Maphosa.

The accused and his accomplices were captured on CCTV.