adminThandeka Moyo Court Reporter
POLICE have arrested the fourth member of a gang that allegedly broke into Buchu Meat Wholesalers in Bulawayo’s Thorngrove industrial area in July and savagely murdered a security guard.
Thabani Moyo, who facing a murder charge and two counts of unlawful entry and theft was arraigned before the courts yesterday.
Moyo had been the only member of the gang who was on the run after his three accomplices were arrested after they were captured on the company’s closed circuit television cameras killing the guard.
Moyo was arrested when he broke into a bar at Zimbabwe Saints Sports Club last week where he stole property, including beer.
Bulawayo magistrate Charity Maphosa convicted Moyo on his own plea of guilty on theft and unlawful entry charges.
She advised him to apply for bail at the High Court pending his murder trial.
Taurai Hondoyemoto, for the State alleges that on August 11 at Queenspark bar, Moyo broke into the bar without the permission of the owner.
“While inside he took a generator, two amplifiers, four speakers and beer worth $103 and got away.
“He was arrested yesterday and police managed to recover some of the stolen property,” said the prosecutor.
For the murder, Hondoyemoto alleges that the four men used a four-pound hammer, an iron rod and a digger to hit the guard on the head before robbing him of $300.
The suspects, Moyo, Jabulani Ndlovu, 33, Benson Mpofu, 25, and Lloyd Dondo, 21, of no fixed abode, were wearing masks when they pounced on the unsuspecting security guard, Jabulani Madolo, 48.
Ndlovu, Mpofu and Dondo were captured on the company’s closed circuit television cameras (CCTV) attacking Madolo resulting in his immediate death.
The three concealed their faces under woollen monkey caps when they committed the alleged crime.
Police detectives used the CCTV images to trace the three men until they arrested them on July 4.
Hondoyemoto said on July 3, the team proceeded to Buchu Meat Wholesalers where they intended to steal meat kept in refrigerated containers.
The court heard that on arrival, Ndlovu and Mpofu broke into the premises and left Dondo to act as a guard as they ransacked the place.
“One of the two accused who went inside the premises scaled over the steel barred workshop through an open space between the roof and iron bars.
“They took a 1.5 metre iron rod, a hammer and a steel digger which they used to force open the refrigerated containers,” Ndlovu said.
The court heard that Madolo became suspicious and on trying to investigate he was attacked by Ndlovu and Mpofu who had laid an ambush for him.
They struck him on the head using the iron rod and a digger and he died on the spot.
Hondoyemoto said after killing Madolo, the three men searched his pockets and took two cellphones, a Nokia Asha and a Nokia 200 and fled leaving the security guard lying in a pool of blood.
Online Reporter