adminSenior Court Reporter
THE trial of National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration Co-Minister Moses Mzila Ndlovu, who is facing armed robbery charges and theft of property worth $427, was yesterday further postponed at the Bulawayo regional court. The trial, which was initially set to start yesterday, has been pushed to 5 August, following a request by Mzila Ndlovu’s lawyer, Mr Matshobana Ncube of Phulu and Ncube Legal Practitioners, who is handling another case at the High Court in Harare.
Matters before the High Court are given precedence over those being handled at the lower courts.
Mzila Ndlovu who is facing charges of allegedly threatening to shoot two firewood poachers, Vupenyu Gumbo and Lucky Dube, before allegedly robbing them of their $365, car keys, cellphone and personal identity documents, appeared before regional magistrate Mr Mark Dzira.
The prosecutor, Mr Goodluck Katenaire, said on 11 April at about 5pm, Mzila Ndlovu came across Gumbo and Dube poaching firewood at his Magazine Farm near Mbokodo along the Bulawayo-Plumtree Road.
The court was told that Mzila Ndlovu pointed his .303 rifle, serial number 12698 at Gumbo and Dube demanding their property and induced the complainants to relinquish lawful control over his driver’s licence, business cards, Samsung cellphone E250, cash amounting to $365 and keys to Dube’s house.
He allegedly ordered the two men to lie down at gunpoint and to produce their identification particulars.
Vupenyu took out his wallet in order to hand over his licence.
However, Mzila Ndlovu allegedly grabbed the wallet, which had $365, a driver’s licence and three business cards.
Dube had no identity particulars on him.
Mzila Ndlovu also allegedly demanded their cellphones. Vupenyu gave him his Samsung E250 with a NetOne sim card while Dube had no cellphone, but had his house keys which he took, the court was told.
Mzila Ndlovu allegedly later directed the two complainants to load the firewood onto their vehicle and follow him to his house and they pretended to follow him, but diverted and drove towards Emganwini Police Station and made a report.
The two allegedly went back to the scene of the crime in the company of the police, but it was already dark.
Mzila Ndlovu was arrested on 19 May and property worth only $62 was recovered and the firearm was seized by the State and sent to the Forensic Ballistics for examination.
Online Reporter