A 24-year-old man from Ntabazinduna, facing theft charges for allegedly stealing cables and radiators from his employer’s trucks, has had his case postponed to Thursday for the continuation of the trial.
Mbekezeli Sokhela allegedly stripped four of Dabulamanziles Ndoda’s trucks of wiring cables and radiators, valued at more than US$8,000.
Sokhela pleaded not guilty to the charges before Bulawayo Magistrate Progress Murandu when he stood trial on Monday and Tuesday.
Sokhela argued that Ndoda fabricated the charges after he quit his job, claiming his parents advised him to stop working for Ndoda, alleging that he does not pay his employees on time.
Sokhela said that prior to quitting, Ndoda was already owing him his salary for previous months. He further claimed that after leaving his job at Ndoda’s trucking company, he did not return to his home in Ntabazinduna but took odd jobs at various places, including Mussina.
The State presented its evidence from Ndoda, the complainant, who narrated that he saw Sokhela at one incident, and his neighbours testified that they had seen him at other times.
Ndoda also mentioned being led to the spot where Sokhela allegedly burnt some of the cables he had stolen from the trucks.
Another state witness, Bekezela Ndoda, said he saw Sokhela burning the cables near his homestead in Ntabazinduna.
“It was around 4 PM. I saw him burning the cables close to their homestead. I approached him, exchanged greetings, and we chatted for a bit before I proceeded on my way,” Ndoda said.
Vukani Dube, another witness from Ntabazinduna, testified that he saw Sokhela under one of Ndoda’s trucks at his homestead. After exchanging greetings, he chased him away.
“I had gone to Ndoda’s homestead to collect my phone that I had left on the charger. It was around 3 PM. I found him under a red truck. He seemed to be cutting something from underneath. I chased him away and he left,” Dube said.
“Around 7 PM, I went back to Ndoda’s homestead. I found him again, but this time under a different truck. I chased him away again. It was after the theft was discovered that we connected it to Sokhela because the events were consistent.”
Sokhela called his uncle, Sikhumbuzo Sokhela, to testify on his whereabouts. He told the court that he knew his nephew was working for a bus company in Bulawayo and denied knowledge of him working outside the country as claimed by the accused.
