Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve, Victoria Falls Reporter
A Victoria Falls chef has been arraigned before the courts after he reported a fake robbery in a desperate attempt to conceal the loss of stokvel (mukando/ukutahayelana) money to betting.
The case was unravelled on Thursday when his wife’s revelations led detectives to the truth, resulting in his arrest for supplying false information to the police.
Elias Ncube (48) of Mkhosana, stood before the Victoria Falls Magistrates Court facing charges of contravening Section 180(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for deliberately making a false report to a public official.
The accused pleaded guilty to the charge, admitting that the USD$2,200 he claimed was stolen in a robbery on December 18, 2025, was in fact money he had lost at a betting shop.
The court heard that the funds were meant for a fund and had been entrusted to him for safekeeping.
Prosecutor Ms Daphney Ntini outlined the state case.
“On the18th day of December 2025 at around 0615 hours, the accused person reported a matter of robbery where he alleged that he was robbed of USD$2 200 at ZRP Victoria Falls. A docket was opened and the case was referred to CID Victoria Falls,” she said.
The investigation quickly fell apart.
“The detectives attended the crime scene and interviewed the accused person and his wife, Angela Chuma, who revealed that the accused person had used the money for betting,” said Ms Ntini.
Following this crucial disclosure by his spouse, Ncube was arrested.
Ncube expressed remorse, saying that the pressure of having lost the funds, intended for a critical purpose, led him to fabricate the robbery story in a moment of panic.
Ncube will be back in court on Saturday for sentencing.
