The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Sunday News Correspondent
A murder suspect who has been on the run for 12 years was arrested in Old Pumula in Bulawayo on Friday following a tip-off from members of the public.
Christopher Sirewu (31), suspected of being part of a gang of four that was involved in an assault that later led to the death of Cosmas Murambiwa in 2008.
He was arrested at his home in Old Pumula. Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said Sirewu was initially arrested in September 2008 but absconded a court appearance.
“On 27 September 2008 at about 8.30 pm, the deceased Cosmas Murambiwa was coming from Old Pumula shops when he was attacked by Sirewu in the company of his other three co-accused persons who are still attending court.
“The accused persons stabbed the complainant with a knife once on the left shoulder and once on the left armpit which led him to bleed profusely. Murambiwa later died on 10 October 2008 while admitted at UBH. The accused persons were arrested, appeared in court for the charge of murder and were released on bail to a later date,” he said.
Sirewu defaulted court leading to the issuance of a warrant of arrest.
Insp Ncube said police applaud members of the public who supplied information that led to Siweru’s apprehension.
Meanwhile, two men suspected of stealing a Honda Fit were arrested after trying to flee from a patrolling police crack team in Donnington West.
Trust Bhebhe (29) and Charles Maseko (26) had a puncture on the left front tyre of the Honda Fit they were travelling in and were fixing it, along Churchill Road near the Bulawayo-Plumtree railway line on Thursday at around 1.30 am.
When the duo was approached by police from ZRP Donnington they jumped into the vehicle and sped off.
“On seeing the police, the accused persons jumped into the Honda Fit and drove off at high speed along Churchill Road due west. The team gave a chase until the accused persons’ rim was damaged and the car stopped opposite Nketa 9 Pentecostal Assembly Church leading to their arrest. Upon searching the vehicle police discovered four complete wheels and an exide battery,” said Insp Ncube.
The previous day a grey Honda Fit had been reported missing after a man parked it outside Gliral Enterprises shop in the Central Business District.
Insp Ncube said investigations revealed that Bhebhe and Maseko, both of Makokoba, had stolen the missing Honda Fit and drove it to a road behind Mpopoma Railway Station where they removed all tyres and other items before dumping it.
The complainant who had lost the Honda Fit managed to identify items that had been in his vehicle when it was stolen that included the four complete wheels, a battery, an avon pair of gold earrings and necklace, a car jack, seven wheel nuts, a small cooler bag, a four-metre extension cable, ratchet extension bar, four brake pads and a vehicle aerial in the Honda Fit that was being used by the arrested pair.
