admin
Musawenkosi Moyo
A dramatic scene occurred at the Bulawayo Magistrates court last Tuesday when a witness Prince Zimuta requested to hear the voices of the accused persons in order to identify them.
“When they came inside the room we were in, they flashed torchlights in front of our faces, pulled down the hats we were wearing to cover our eyes, therefore we could not see their faces. While we were lying down one of them was singing a song and I could clearly hear him. That is why I am requesting the court to let me hear the voices of the three men because I still remember what his voice sounded like and can identify it.”
However, the court denied the request stating that the witness had already stated that he could not positively identify the accused.
The suspects Themba Moyo (55), Calton Ndlovu (44) and Tshidzani Mpofu (33) appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Dambudzo Malunga facing three counts of robbery and one count of unlawful dealing in petroleum products as defined in section 29[1] of the petroleum act chapter 13:22.
They pleaded not guilty and were remanded in custody to 14 August 2024 for continuation of trial. Allegations are that on 27 May 2024 at about 01:30 am the accused went to Econet Base Station Rangemore, Bulawayo armed with a Jones spanner and bolt cutter.
It was heard that upon arrival Moyo and Ndlovu approached the complainant Wisdom Magombedze who was on duty at the Econet base. They held the complainant and tied his hands and feet with cable ties and took two of his cell phones.
The accused persons forced the complainant to walk with them to a bushy area away from the station and instructed him to lie down. After leaving the complainant at the bushy area, the accused then went back to the station and used spanners to remove a diesel tank drain plug which is underneath the tank and siphoned 900 litres from the tank. They then left using a gateway vehicle being driven by Mpofu.
On the same day at around 5am the accused went to fuel dealers Itayi Yekeye, Dumisani Nkiwane and Perseverance Hove in their respective households and sold them the diesel. The total value of stolen property was US$1500 and US$150 was recovered.
The court further head that on 3 June 2024 the accused persons went to Bulawayo Airport Road Econet Base Station along Nkayi road armed with a Bob Jones spanner, hacksaw and a bolt cutter, they approached the complainants Prince Zimuta and Khiwa Munkuli who were on duty as guards at the station.
They then tied their hands and forced them to walk to a bushy area about 30-40metres away from the station and ordered them to lie down.
They took Zimuto’s cell phone, US$150, shoes and took Munkuli’s shoes and a bag with a laptop. They then went back to the station, where they used a spanner to remove a diesel tank drain plug which is underneath the tank and siphoned 2000litres of diesel from the diesel tank. The total value of stolen property was $3 600 and a total value recovered was $992.
Online Reporter