Nedbank robber jailed 10 years

A 45-year-old man from Bulawayo, Lovemore Gambiza, who has been on trial for stealing US$271 500 and R2 million from a Nedbank branch in the city was on Monday sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The sentencing marks the culmination of legal proceedings that were being overseen by Bulawayo magistrate Ms Sibonginkosi Mnkandla, who handed down the sentence.

Three years of his sentence were suspended on condition he does not commit a crime of a similar nature in the next five years.

Gambiza had been in remand prison since his arrest in September last year, before his trial kicked off in April this year, where he pleaded not guilty to unlawful entry and theft charges.

In court documents, prosecutor Ms Concillia Ncube told the court that Lovemore Gambiza (45) of Emganwini and Elias Mudenda (46) of Cowdray Park (who has since been acquitted of all charges), on the night of August, 26 2023, together with Aggipa Mloyi, Dingilizwe Mloyi, Nqobile Mloyi, Sipho Tshuma, Bhekani Mlilo and one other suspect, only identified as SaMandla who are still at large hatched a plan to steal cash from Nedbank Belmont Branch.

She said the crew scaled over the pre-cast wall and cut the razor wire. Thereafter, they cut and removed the burglar bar to the back office and gained entry into the bank.

“While inside, they opened the server room and used a gas cutting torch to open the Chubb vault that contained cash, then stole US$272 000 cash, R2 420 000, five gold coins weighing 1 ounce each with a total value of USD10 056 and a network video recorder worth US$109,” said Ms Ncube.

She said the offence was discovered on the morning of 28 August 2023 when the Nedbank employees reported for work and a report was made to the police who attended the scene and recovered cigarette stubs and used tissue paper from the scene which were taken for DNA testing.

“Investigations were instituted leading to the arrest of the two accused persons and the recovery of US$12 500 and R57 500 with Nedbank seals from Gambiza which had been buried underground in the bush 20 kilometres along the Bulawayo-Plumtree Road.

“Police further recovered US$1 000 and R16 880 from Mudenda which was stashed under a tyre inside a disused thatched house in Binga and US$3 000 at a house in Cowdray Park, which is his place of residence,” said Ms Ncube.

She said the police also recovered the cars used to commit the offence, a Toyota Hiace registration ADU 3231 and a Toyota Venture registration ABP 8593. Also recovered was the cutting torch believed to have been used to open the vault.

A total of US$282 165, R2 420 000 in value was stolen and only US$16 500 and R74 630 was recovered.
In their defence, through their lawyers, Mr Tinashe Tashaya of Sengweni Legal Practice and Mr Tawanda Tavengwa of Mutuso, Taruvinga and Mhiribidi Legal Practitioners, Gambiza and Mudenda claimed they were out of town when the robbery occurred.

During the three-month trial, Gambiza’s lawyer, Mr Tashaya, informed the court that his client was at his gold mine during the commission of the crime and argued the recovered money was money realised from his mining business.

The money stolen from the bank was sealed in Nedbank seals.
The seals were positively identified by two witnesses who are Nedbank employees.

Gambiza argued that his savings were also sealed in those seals, as he banks with the financial institution.