adminThupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
A MAN suspected to have set a Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) warehouse on fire in violent illegal protests in Beitbridge on Friday, appeared in court yesterday.
Norest Hove, who allegedly started the fire that razed the warehouse and destroyed impounded vehicles, was charged together with Nhlanhla Moyo (26) and Delight Masuka (19).
The trio is from Beitbridge.
Protestors destroyed public infrastructure, vandalised private properties, looted shops and burnt down the warehouse.
So far police have arrested 74 people over the demonstration against government’s decision to remove listed goods from the open import general licence.
Beitbridge resident magistrate Ms Gloria Takundwa did not ask them to plead to a charge of violence.
She remanded the trio in custody to today.
This brings to 20 the number of people who have appeared in court over the disturbances.
Prosecuting, Mr Penson Chekeya said Hove went to Red Star wholesalers’ which is being used as a State warehouse by Zimra.
He allegedly broke in, stole clothes and set the warehouse on fire.
Mr Chekeya said the trio broke into a shop at Mashakada Business Centre and looted a bag with clothes, groceries and electrical gadgets. He said they went on to barricade roads with stones and vandalised traffic lights around the town.
Police, Mr Chekeya said, arrested the trio on Sunday morning.
He said detectives found Masuka and Hove with items looted from the Mashakada shop. “Hove was also found in possession of 30 T-shirts which he had stolen from Red Star during the illegal demonstration,” said Mr Chekeya.
There was calm in the border town yesterday with anti-riot police maintaining high visibility on all streets.
Online Reporter