Serial burglars in court

Mashudu Netsianda Senior Court Reporter
THREE alleged serial burglars, who last year raided several shops in Bulawayo including Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko’s Choppies supermarket and robbing them of goods worth more than $100,000, briefly appeared in court yesterday. Nqobile Mloyi, 34, of Pumula South, Agrippa Mloyi, 32, of Mzilikazi and Elias Mudenda, 38, of New Lobengula appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Tawanda Muchemwa facing 10 counts of unlawful entry and theft. They were remanded in custody to today for their ruling on bail application.

The spate of burglary, which began in October, targeted supermarkets mostly in the city centre where the robbers broke into the shop’s safes and stole a total of $102,052,46.

Prosecuting, Dumisani Ndlovu said on October 4, last year, the trio broke into Mana Mana Uthokoze Restaurant at around 8PM and used a grinder to destroy the safe and stole $1,800.

The court heard that on December 19, they raided Mr Baker located at Sekusile Shopping Centre in Nkulumane suburb and went away with $2,848,86. Four days later, the three men allegedly descended on Choppies Supermarket in New Lobengula and used the same method, using a grinder to cut open three safes and made away with goods and $14,483,63.

Ndlovu said in February this year, the trio pounced on Greens Supermarket located between 3rd and 4th Avenue in Jason Moyo Street at around 10PM where they scaled the perimeter wall, cut the zinc roofing and gained entry.

He said they also cut three safes that were in the director’s office and stole $30,568,00.

“On March 29, at around 8PM, the trio went to Wholesale Centre at 4th Avenue and Fife Street where they cut the premises rear gate and gained entry. While inside they scaled the roof, cut the zinc roofing sheets and accessed the ceiling before gaining entry in the shop.

Using a grinder, the trio cut two safes and stole $52,820,92,” said Ndlovu.

Acting on a tip off, police teamed up with members from the Crime Prevention Unit and raided Mudenda’s house and arrested him. He then led police detectives to Nqobile and Agrippa’s places of residence leading to their arrest.