Online Reporter
Danisa Masuku, [email protected]
A Bulawayo company, which was allegedly found storing an assortment of explosives at an unlicensed premise, has been dragged to court.
Mzigwe Marketing appeared last Friday before Bulawayo Provincial Magistrate, Isheunesu Mathoba, facing a charge of storing explosives at an unlicensed premise.
The company’s representative, Mr Mbuso Moyo, pleaded not guilty on behalf of the company.
Mzigwe Marketing is being represented by Mr Mehluli Ndlovu of Ndlovu and Partners.
In defence of the accused, Mr Ndlovu argued: “The accused denies unlawfully keeping items in storage and states that the items were in transit from the Emakhandeni site to the Bulilima Rural District Council site.
“The truck ferrying the items broke down and had to be taken to a garage for servicing. The items could not remain at the garage and had to be offloaded onto the office while the vehicle was serviced and that is when they were seized by the detectives.”
The matter was postponed to Tuesday, June 30.
Principal prosecutor, Mr Milton Moyo, told the court that on April 28 at around 3.30 PM, police detectives from the
Minerals Flora and Fauna Unit were on an operation regarding explosives management.
“They received information that the accused was storing explosives on unlicensed premises. Four detectives went to the shop and requested a search. They stumbled upon three boxes x 25kg of Emex 70 emulates,” said Mr Moyo.
The court heard that detectives also recovered 17 units of Emex 70 emulates, one box x 25kg of BME 29 emulates, four units of BME 29 emulates, one roll of power cord, six rolls of power cord (10m each), one roll of power cord (5m), one roll of power cord (0.8m), one roll of igniter cord (50m), and 25 packs of capped fuses. These were found placed in a disused cold room inside the shop.
When asked for a storage licence, the accused failed to produce one, leading to the arrest.
