Online Reporter
B-Metro Reporter
A CRAFTY cattle rustler who thought he could melt into the city has been smoked out and cuffed.
Police in Bulawayo have arrested 33-year-old Kondwane Jele of Village 48 under Chief Gumede, Jotsholo, after he tried to lie low at a house in Robert Sinyoka while on the run for stock theft.
Jele, who had been dodging the long arm of the law since a heist in Jotsholo, was cornered after officers received a tip-off and launched a surveillance operation that nailed him on 21 July.
“Acting on the tip-off, police officers proceeded to the said address and conducted surveillance which led to the arrest of the accused person,” said Bulawayo police spokesperson, Inspector Nomalanga Msebele.
Jele didn’t waste time playing innocent. During interrogation, he sang like a canary.
Jele admitted to teaming up with Mtunywa Nyoni — his partner in crime who was nabbed in
December 2024 and is now serving a nine-year jail term — to steal three beasts from a villager in Jotsholo.
Nyoni’s arrest and confession had left police hunting for Jele, who vanished until his recent bust.
“Police appreciate members of the public for supplying information leading to the arrest of the accused persons,” said Inspector Msebele, adding a stern warning to all fugitives: “We reiterate that Bulawayo is not a hiding hub for criminals committing crimes in other places.”
Cattle theft remains a major issue in rural Matabeleland, with syndicates targeting unguarded livestock and transporting them across districts for resale or slaughter.
