The Sunday News
Loveness Mpofu, Sunday News Reporter
A BULAWAYO man who was driving a South Africa-registered Toyota Quantum without a driver’s licence and proper documents for the car, has been arrested after he fled a roadblock before he later kidnapped a 17-year-old girl and spent a night with her.
Mandlenkosi Sibanda (31), of Nkulumane who is a cross border transporter appeared before Kezi magistrate Mr Jimmy Ntonga last week facing one charge of kidnapping. He was also convicted of three other traffic offences, for failing to comply with police instructions twice and driving without a driver’s licence.
Mr Ntonga remanded Sibanda in custody to tomorrow for sentencing.
For the State, prosecutor Mr Smart Tafireyi told the court that on 15 June, Sibanda who was driving a Toyota Quantum registration number CX-67WB GP was signalled to stop at the 95km peg along the Bulawayo-Kezi Road by police officers who were manning a roadblock.
He stopped but when he was asked to produce a driver’s licence and the documents for the vehicle, he drove off without producing the documents.
The court heard that later that day, at around 3pm, Sibanda picked a girl from Chief Masuku area along the road.
The girl wanted to drop off at Shashane High School. However, the court heard that Sibanda instead drove off to Sontala area ignoring pleas from her to be dropped off.
Later on, Sibanda is said to have driven to Mabonyane Business Centre where he spent a night with the girl. It was not mentioned in court what transpired during the night. The following morning at around 8am, he dropped off the girl at Mashashane bus stop.
Mr Tafireyo told the court that Sibanda then drove towards Bulawayo and was once again stopped at a roadblock at the 100km peg along Maphisa-Bulawayo Road by police officers from Matopo.
He stopped the vehicle and fled into the bush but police officers gave chase resulting in his arrest.
