Complainant fails to recognise the accused persons at the crime scene

THE trial involving Constable Wellington Ndoro (38), who was stationed at CID Nkulumane, Bulawayo, and his three accomplices has kicked off with the complainant failing to recognise the accused persons at the crime scene.

Ndoro, Felias Mvula, Julius Mugwagwa and Silence Kwangwa appeared in court on Tuesday before Bulawayo Regional Magistrate, Mr Taurai Manwere, facing an attempted robbery charge.

Ndoro and Mvula are represented by their lawyer, Mr Tinashe Dzipe, while Mugwagwa and Kwangwa are self-actors.

Mr Casey Bean, the complainant, took to the stand: “The crime occurred in the evening and it was dark. As such, I could not recognise the faces of the accused persons at the crime scene.

“I only saw them when they were arrested by the police officers.”

Mr Dzipe presented a statement, which was written by Mr Casey, but Mr Casey objected to the statement being presented as evidence in court.

“I don’t want it to be presented as it will dismember the case as I had not included the identification and description of Ndoro and Mvula,” said Mr Casey.

The investigations officer told the court that he relied on what he was told by the complainant and admitted that, from a logical point of view, there was no evidence linking the accused to the charge.

The matter was postponed to 3 March 2026.

Prosecuting, Mr Owen Mugari told the court that Ndoro and his accomplices hatched a plan to rob Mr Casey Bean, a Victoria Falls resident, after they gathered that he kept large sums of money and other valuable items at his home.

“On 14 December 2023, Ndoro and his accomplices connived to go to Victoria Falls from Bulawayo. They arrived at around 9PM and found the complainant watching television, sitting in his living room,” he said.

“The complainant was alerted by his daughter that there were four intruders who had scaled over the precast wall and were in his yard. The complainant checked and saw one of the accused trying to force open the main door.

“One of the accused persons was left outside the yard as a sentry while Ndoro was in the car,” said Mr Mugari.

The court heard that the complainant alerted the neighbourhood watch response team and the police, who reacted swiftly.

“Mr Bean dashed out of the house clutching a knobkerrie. Upon realising that the complainant had seen them, the four accused who were in the yard scaled the precast wall in different directions.

“Ndoro, who was waiting in the getaway vehicle, a Toyota Corolla, started the vehicle, and the other one, who was a sentry, jumped in and attempted to drive away at high speed,” said Mr Mugari.

“The response team, who were driving a Toyota Land Cruiser, gave chase and caught up with it. The neighbourhood watch response team’s motor vehicle hit the accused persons’ motor vehicle from behind, and the vehicle stopped. The two accused jumped out and started running in different directions,” the court heard.

The court further heard that the ZRP teams and the neighbourhood watch response team started searching for the accused persons. Ndoro was found hiding at a house, while Mvula was arrested while hiding in a trench along a road.

Mugwagwa and Kangwa were later arrested in Bulawayo by CID Homicide, who recovered a pistol with an erased serial number.