Man accused of committing crime while in prison cleared

Mashudu Mambo

A 37-YEAR-OLD man from Trenance suburb in Bulawayo escaped jail by a whisker after he was allegedly accused of a crime that was committed while he was in prison.

Clive Ndlovu appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Enerst Muzembe facing a charge of robbery. He pleaded not guilty to the charge and was found not guilty. The case was withdrawn.

In his defence, Machakanja produced a document supporting his evidence that he was in prison on the date when it is alleged that he committed an offence. The document indicated that he had been serving an 8-year jail sentence at Khami prison.

State allegations were that on 30 June 2019 at around 12pm, Fanuel Machakanja received a call from Ndlovu who claimed that he wanted some cigarettes for his wife’s business.

Machakanja then cycled to the location and met up with Ndlovu at a flyover along Old Victoria Falls.

Ndlovu then asked the victim to wait for him as he wanted to relieve himself at a nearby bush, he then came back in the company of two of his accomplices who are still at large.

The trio then threatened the victim and Ndlovu produced a machete from his satchel and threatened to kill Machakanja.

Ndlovu allegedly used an unknown object to damage the padlock of the cigarette carrier box and took cash amounting to R500, ZWL500, 35 bricks of Madison cigarettes and a cellphone.

Machakanja reported the matter to the police but the culprit was not located.

On 17 April 2024, the victim met up with Ndlovu at Renkini bus terminus and followed him to a beer garden after informing the police leading to Ndlovu’s arrest. The value stolen was US$465 and nothing was recovered.