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Mashudu Mambo
A TAXI driver from Bulawayo is lucky to be alive after he was violently and repeatedly thrashed by three men who had robbed him of his vehicle after they had hired him.
This was heard when Blessing Ngwenya (30), Thinkwell Moyo (30) all from Nkulumane suburb and Christopher Tigere (48) from Rusape in Manicaland province appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Joseph Mabeza facing a charge of theft of motor vehicle.
They pleaded not guilty to the charge and were remanded in custody to for commencement of trial.
Allegations against the trio are that on 17 August at around 10pm, they found Brian Moyo looking for customers at a city night club situated at corner 11th Avenue and George Silundika Street.
Moyo was approached by one of the suspects who hired him to drive them to Nketa suburb and he agreed.
They then drove to another club where they collected two other suspects and they headed to Nketa suburb.
When they were at Nketa 9 flats, one of the perpetrators immediately pulled the gear lever to park, engaged the hand brake and the vehicle stopped.
The trio thrashed the victim and he fled leaving the vehicle and his mobile phone behind. The trio then sped off from the scene.
Moyo then informed his employer, Patrick Murevanemwe about the robbery and he then checked the direction of the flight on his mobile tracker and he discovered that the perpetrators were driving along the Bulawayo-Harare highway.
The matter was reported to the police who notified their colleagues in Gweru. On the next day, at around 2am, the police in Gweru then intercepted the vehicle at a tollgate about 20 kilometres after Gweru.
They arrested the three suspects and the vehicle worth US$5 000 was recovered.
Siphakeme .Mnindwa
