Online Reporter
Moreblessing Ncube
A BULAWAYO man’s night-time burglary mission went up in smoke after he was caught selling stolen kitchen goods, including a gas tank and frying pan, snatched from a caravan kitchen.
Mduduzi Moyo (41) of Njube, appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Maxwell Ncube facing charges of unlawful entry and theft. He was remanded in custody until 22 October pending further investigations.
According to prosecutor Mehluli Ndlovu, the daring theft occurred on 21 July at the corner of 15th Avenue and Fort Street in Bulawayo, where Moyo and an accomplice allegedly broke into a caravan being used as a kitchen.
“The accused used an unknown object to break the window and cut the burglar bars before entering,” said Ndlovu. “Once inside, they stole a 19kg gas tank, a frying pan, 15 plates and several groceries belonging to Helen Mpofu of Tshabalala.”
After loading their loot, the thieves vanished into the night, leaving Mpofu fuming and her mobile kitchen in disarray.
For weeks, the culprits enjoyed their spoils until police investigations led to a witness who admitted to buying some of the stolen goods from Moyo.
“The 19kg gas tank and frying pan were recovered from a witness who revealed that he bought them from the accused,” Ndlovu told the court.
The recovered items, valued at US$145, form part of the total US$238 stolen haul.
When police caught up with Moyo, he allegedly tried to play innocent, claiming he found the items being sold cheaply in the city centre. Investigators did not buy the story, especially after the buyer pointed directly at him as the seller.
Moyo’s accomplice is still on the run, and police say more arrests are expected as they close in on the city’s petty theft rings that have been targeting small businesses and mobile food operators.
Meanwhile, Mpofu is still counting her losses and says the theft hit her hard. “That caravan is my livelihood. They didn’t just steal things, they stole my income,” she told B-Metro.
