The Sunday News
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
AN ex-policeman has appeared in court for allegedly stealing 50 cattle from two farms in Fort Rixon area with the assistance of a 19-year-old teenager and three other accomplices who are still at large.
Tapiwa Mandima (31) of Fort Rixon area and Solomon Sibanda (19) of Chivi were not asked to plead when they appeared briefly before Gwanda magistrate, Mrs Nomagugu Sibanda facing two counts of stock theft last week. They were remanded in custody to 14 March for trial.
Prosecuting, Mr Mncedisi Dube said Mandima and Sibanda with three accomplices who are still at large stole five cattle belonging to Mr Flopper Mlavu, the owner of Centenary Farm between April and May last year. He said they further stole 45 cattle from Mr Patrick Kostein the owner of Twinrivers Farm sometime in June last year.
“On a date unknown to the prosecutor but during the period extending from April to May 2018 Mandima and Sibanda connived with three other people who are still at large namely Khumbulani Golintethe, Sitwell Zondeka and Andrew Dube and they went to Centenary Farm in Fort Rixon in the middle of the night. They stole five head of cattle belonging to Mr Flopper Mlavu that were branded. They drove the animals from Centenary Farm to Boeming Ranch where they loaded the animals onto a truck which was being driven by Andrew Dube and they transported the cattle to Mandima’s home in Masvingo,” he said.
Mr Dube said Mandima, Sibanda and their three accomplices further went to Twinsrivers Farm sometime in June last year where they stole 45 cattle. He said the accused persons fraudulently obtained a police clearance which they used to transport the stolen cattle. He said they took the cattle to an unknown destination.
Mr Dube said the matter came to light when Sibanda was being interviewed by police in connection with another stocktheft case. He said police carried out investigations leading to the recovery of two of the beasts while the others had been sold and the rest had been slaughtered. Mr Dube said the value of the stolen cattle is $47 200.
@DubeMatutu
