Ex-cop vanishes with taxi

Midlands Correspondent
A former policeman vanished with a taxi he had hired when its owner left him in the car to buy airtime at a shopping centre in Gweru.
The ex-policeman, Khullen Ngwenya (23), who resigned recently from the police force, reportedly drove the car to Bulawayo to visit his girlfriend.

Ngwenya yesterday appeared before Gweru magistrate Ms Sithembiso Ncube to answer car theft charges.
He pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody to 11 November.

Prosecuting, Ms Helen Khosa told the court that on Thursday afternoon, the complainant, Mr Tererai Mutetwa was parking his Honda Fit car which he uses as a taxi at Mkoba 14 Shopping Centre when Ngwenya approached him.

Ms Khosa said Ngwenya told Mutetwa that he wanted to hire the car to Ascot suburb to pick up his girlfriend and Mr Mutetwa complied.
On arrival in Ascot suburb, Ngwenya told Mr Mutetwa that he wanted  to be taken back to his house, in Mkoba Village 14 as he had been told that his girlfriend was in Bulawayo.

Ms Khosa said on their way to Mkoba, Mutetwa stopped at Ascot Shopping Centre intending to buy airtime from one of the shops. He then left  Ngwenya in the car.

The court was told that when Mr Mutetwa returned he found his car   gone.
A report was made to the police           and Ngwenya was later arrested in Bulawayo while driving the stolen car.