admindifferent copper products valued at $3 900 on Monday last week.
Mukondiwa and Ndlovu are Zimbabweans based in South Africa and Ndlovu is employed at a Pick’n Pay Supermarket in that country.
The duo was arraigned before Bulawayo magistrate Ms Marylyn Mutshina to answer to a charge of possessing copper without a licence for the purposes of dealing in it.
They were not formally charged and were remanded in custody to Wednesday.
The State led by Mr Shepherd Nhamburo alleges that on Monday last week police received a tip-off that Mukondiwa and Ndlovu were in possession of copper.
Following the tip-off, detectives pretended to be buyers and arranged with the duo that they should meet as they wanted to view the copper.
They arranged to meet at the corner of 6th Avenue and Samuel Parirenyatwa Street in the city centre and Mukondiwa and Ndlovu arrived driving a Toyota Hilux with South African registration numbers.
The car was loaded with copper wires, copper spikes and flat copper bars with a combined value of $3 900. While Mukondiwa and Ndlovu expected the “prospective” buyers to view their stock and negotiate a price, the detectives identified themselves as policemen and immediately arrested them.
The suspected copper dealers were then asked to produce a licence for dealing in copper but could not.
The copper was then taken to Zesa offices where it was valued. The suspects’ vehicle is also being held by the police.
Online Reporter
- Chronicle
- June 4, 2026
- 2 views
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