Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo [email protected]
A DECADE ago, Keith Sibanda was the kind of learner teachers and fellow pupils expected to go far.
At Solusi Adventist High School, he was the headboy, a church elder, an accomplished public speaker and a brilliant learner who scored an impressive 20 points at Advanced Level.
Today, the 27-year-old is at the centre of a police manhunt over allegations involving 16 vehicles worth US$161 500 — a dramatic fall that has left former schoolmates struggling to reconcile the man they knew with the suspect police are now pursuing.
Sibanda of Mahatshula North suburb in Bulawayo is accused of using deception to gain the trust of private vehicle owners and car hire companies before taking possession of their vehicles and either selling them or using them as collateral to secure loans.
The alleged crime spree began in June last year and continued until July this year, according to police.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Criminal Investigations Department (CID) national spokesperson said Sibanda would initially hire vehicles for short periods before allegedly extending the rental agreements.
“After gaining the confidence of the owners, he would then extend the agreed hire periods before eventually disposing of the vehicles by selling them or using them as collateral to secure loans from different individuals,” she said.
The alleged scheme resulted in 16 vehicles, collectively valued at US$161 500, being reported stolen.
Police have since recovered 13 of the vehicles and are working to trace the remaining three.
For those who knew Sibanda during his school years, the allegations have been difficult to comprehend.
A former classmate, who asked not to be named, remembered him as an intelligent, principled and confident young man who was not afraid to challenge authority when he believed he was right.
“Keith was a very intelligent and kind character who has always been reputable in positions of authority. A very straightforward gentleman of high aura who managed to challenge high authority,” said the former classmate.
His academic and leadership record, he said, was equally impressive.
“He was our headboy for the year 2016, a church elder as well who scored 20 points at A-Level. I don’t know what then came into him to become what he is now suspected to have done,” he said.
Another former schoolmate, who attended both primary and secondary school with Sibanda, described him simply as “very smart”.
“We went to the same primary and high school. Keith was very smart. I’ll leave it there,” wrote the former schoolmate, Gugue Sunshine, on Facebook.
Ntobeko Ncube, who also attended Solusi Adventist High School with Sibanda, remembered a quieter side of his personality.
“He used to be so quiet at school, I’m sure he was plotting,” Ncube commented on Facebook as news of the allegations triggered debate among former schoolmates.
But beyond the shock among those who knew him lies a growing concern for vehicle owners and car hire operators who rely heavily on trust when handing over expensive assets to clients.
Police say Sibanda allegedly exploited that trust by initially appearing to be a legitimate client before extending hire periods and eventually disposing of the vehicles.
Det Insp Muteweri said vehicle tracking technology had proved crucial in recovering some of the vehicles.
“Some of the stolen vehicles had tracking devices which the police used to locate their exact location,” she said.
Tracking devices use GPS signals to establish a vehicle’s location before transmitting the information through mobile networks. Depending on how they are programmed, some devices can transmit location updates every few minutes while a vehicle is moving and less frequently when it is parked.
As the investigation continues, police are also examining how the vehicles were allegedly sold or pledged as collateral and whether other people could have been involved.
Sibanda is still at large, with detectives intensifying efforts to locate him and recover the outstanding vehicles.
Police are also appealing to anyone with information that could lead to his arrest or assist in recovering the remaining vehicles to come forward.
A Bulawayo-based car hire company has also offered a reward for information that directly leads to Sibanda’s arrest.
However, for his former schoolmates, the police manhunt has already raised a more difficult question — how a young man once regarded as a model student and future leader could, a decade later, find himself on the wrong side of the law.
For now, that question remains unanswered as the investigation continues.
