Online Reporter
Danisa Masuku, [email protected]
A murder and armed robbery suspect who falsified his national identity card to evade arrest has been sentenced to four years in prison.
Bulawayo Provincial Magistrate Mr Isheunesu Mathoba found Justin Mpofu guilty of defeating the course of justice and contravening the Births and Deaths Registration Act, specifically for counterfeiting or falsifying a register entry.
For each count, Mr Mathoba sentenced Mpofu to three years in prison. He suspended one year from each sentence on condition that Mpofu does not commit a similar offence within the next five years, leaving an effective term of four years’ imprisonment.
The magistrate also ordered the cancellation of the fraudulently acquired documents, which include a passport, a national identity card, and a driver’s licence.
Prosecutor Mr Milton Moyo argued that the offences were premeditated, noting that Mpofu hired individuals to pose as his parents. He added that Mpofu brought the reputation of the Nyamandlovu Civil Registry into disrepute.
“He committed a serious crime, and to send a message to would-be offenders, I pray for a custodial sentence,” said Mr Moyo.
Mpofu was represented by Mr Kholwani Ngwenya of T J Mabhikwa and Partners.
Mr Moyo told the court that Mpofu was recently deported from South Africa, where he had been hiding for 15 years to evade arrest by the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
“Mpofu was wanted by detectives from the Homicide Section on allegations that he and his accomplices fatally shot Peter Sithole in 2010. Following the shooting, they stole ZAR28 000, two speakers, two mobile phones, and an amplifier from a bottle store,” said Mr Moyo.
Upon his return to Zimbabwe, Mpofu devised a plan to avoid arrest. He approached Ms Sobala Ngwenya, Ms Sibonginkosi Tshuma, and Ms Hilda Moyo to assist him in changing his identity to Ryan Ncube.
The accomplices charged him US$300 for the service, with Ngwenya posing as his mother.
“Moyo informed a Civil Registry official stationed at Nyamandlovu that she had known Mpofu since childhood and that his father, the late Justin Ncube, had died some years ago. They then bribed the Civil Registry official, and it was agreed that Mpofu’s age would be reduced during the processing of the new national identity card,” Mr Moyo added.
The group also approached a village head, Tswapi Mpofu of Village 6A Deli, Nyamandlovu, who confirmed in writing that the suspect was born in his village and was the son of the late Justin Ncube.
The court heard that their cover was blown when homicide detectives arrested Mpofu after discovering that he was masquerading as Ryan Ncube using a forged national identity card.
Upon interrogation, Mpofu confessed to the fraud.
Ngwenya, Tshuma, and Moyo were arrested last year by detectives from the Homicide Section. They were sentenced to pay a fine of US$300 each, failing which they will face six months’ imprisonment.
