Online Reporter
Mashudu Mambo
A 39-year-old man from Nketa suburb in Bulawayo has been nabbed for allegedly breaking into a house and stealing about US$6 000 from a couple at gunpoint.
Thomas Dube appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Joseph Mabeza facing a charge of armed robbery. He pleaded not guilty to the charge and was remanded in custody to 9 October for continuation of trial.
State allegations against Dube are that on 7 August 2024 at around 2am, he was in the company of Kelvin Masuku, a Sylvester and a Gerald who are still at large. The quartet hatched a plan to break into Tapiwanashe Tafireyi’s house, they were armed with a crowbar and a pistol.
They used the crowbar to break into the house while Tapiwanashe and his wife Delight Tafireyi were sleeping. While they were in the house, the suspect armed with a pistol broke into Tapiwanashe’s bedroom while the other three proceeded to the other rooms in search of the other occupants.
The suspect who was in the couple’s bedroom ordered Tapiwanashe to remain on the bed and assaulted his wife with slaps twice on the face ordering her to surrender money. Delight gave him US$200 which she took from the headboard drawer and gave it to the culprit.
The victims’ cousin Elliot Masaga who was sleeping in a separate room heard the commotion and went to the couple’s room in a quest to save them. When he arrived the suspect fired a shot at him and he scurried for cover.
The culprit threatened to shoot Tapiwanashe and demanded more money, his wife surrendered US$3 600 and R6 000 which was in a jacket. The total value stolen was USD$5 800 and R6 000, and nothing was recovered.
Dube was apprehended in the house during the commotion by the victims’ cousins who were sleeping in other rooms, while the other suspects fled the scene. The matter was reported to the police leading to the arrest of Dube. The police recovered one unused blank cartridge and a crowbar in the house.
