A Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) officer who stole firearms from his father’s security company with the intention of committing an armed robbery crime with his friends, is still on the run, a fortnight after he was granted ZWL$500 bail.
Moketsi Ndlovu (27) stationed a 2 Mechanised Batallion, Inkomo Barracks in Harare, was issued with a warrant of arrest on December 27 after he defaulted his court appearance before Bulawayo Provincial magistrate Tinashe Tashaya.
His fellow co-accused Ngqabutho Tshuma (42), Friday was also issued with a warrant of arrest after he defaulted his court appearance before the same magistrate.
Ndlovu is facing charges of theft of firearms while being jointly charged with Tshuma, Talent Dube(34) and Bukhosi Moyo (26) for conspiring to commit armed robbery.
Magistrate Tashaya ruled that the matter will proceed by way of summons.
According to State papers as presented by George Rufumoyo, on December 18 Ndlovu stole .38 special revolver serial numberAA455788, 5 by 9mm rounds of ammunition, 6 by 7.62mm rounds of ammunition 1 by 2.70mm round of ammunition and a 303 rifle with a magazine of 5 live rounds of ammunition.
Rufumoyo told the court that the four, acting on the information provided by Ndlovu (the soldier) entered into an agreement to commit an armed robbery on Dorah Zivengwa at her house in Nkulumane after Ndlovu had supplied information that there was money at her house.
The State alleged that the agreement was Ndlovu would steal firearms from Perazim Security Company which is owned by his father to use for the commission of the offence.
“Ndlovu went to the company and asked for keys from the supervisor, one Nkosiyazi Mhlanga under the pretext that he was taking them to the company directors.
While inside the premises, accused stole .38 special revolver serial number AA455788, 5 by 9MM rounds of ammunition, 6 by 7.62MM rounds of ammunition 1 BY 2.70MM round of ammunition and a 303 rifle with a magazine of 5 live rounds of ammunition and went to his accomplices who were waiting in a Honda CRV Registration Number ADM 8218 near the company premises being driven be Evert Mloyi,” said Rufumoyo.
Rufumoyo said detectives who had been informed about the planned mission, pounced on the accused persons, arrested them and subsequently recovered the firearms.
