A Zanu-PF official who was arrested for the alleged hijacking, at gunpoint, of two Zambian haulage trucks which were transporting copper to South Africa was on Friday further remanded in custody.
Arthur Nhliziyo, the Zanu-PF chairman in Filabusi, was arrested on Thursday last week, for allegedly committing an armed robbery offence where he and his accomplices intercepted two trucks loaded with copper in the Dete area, Matabeleland North.
The court heard that the stolen consignment and haulage truck trailers were recovered at his homestead.
According to State allegations as presented by prosecutor Ashley Dube, the stolen copper concentrate was valued at US$452 413, 64 and US$178 459 was recovered.
Bulawayo magistrate Marygold Ndlovu remanded Nhliziyo in custody to November 11, 2021.
Nhliziyo initially appeared in court on Friday, represented by Bob Sansole of Dube, Mguni, Dube Legal Practitioners with the investigating officers making an application for further detention.
When he appeared for his initial remand on Saturday where the magistrate remanded the matter to October 29.
Magistrate Ndlovu further remanded him to November 11 and advised his legal representative to seek bail at the High Court.
Prosecutor Dube narrated to the court that on October 10, 2021, at around 8 PM Nhliziyo, in the company of others, armed with a pistol, hijacked two parked trucks loaded with 30 tonnes of copper concentrate and 30 tonnes of copper cathodes each.
“They tied both drivers on their hands and legs with shoelaces and forced them to lie on the truck beds behind the seats. They drove the trucks from Fatima to the accused person’s homestead where they left the trailers and consignments,” said Dube.
“They then went to dump the truck horses and the complainants at Mthandabwe area, Chibi, near Mashaba. They went back to Nhliziyo’s homestead and offloaded one trailer with copper concentrate and an empty trailer was recovered together with the drivers’ passports and belongings.”
