SOLDIER IN COURT OVER CHIWENGA PROPERTY THEFT

A SERVING member of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) was yesterday arraigned before the courts facing allegations of stealing Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s property valued at $1,6 million at Orchid Gardens in Domboshawa.

Anesu Munyika, who is attached to the Presidential Guard battalion, appeared before Harare magistrate Judith Taruvinga together with Simon Nyakabanga, a worker at Orchid Gardens facing theft allegations.

The pair will appear again before the courts today for bail application. The duo’s arrest now brings to six the total number of people nabbed for stealing the Vice-President’s property.

The other four are Tempson Dhauramanzi (30) and Paul Ndhlovu (30) who are members of the ZNA, Mind Makona (32) of Orchid Gardens and Edmore Huni of Hatcliff, who is not employed.

Allegations were that on February 10 this year at around 6pm, when Munyika, Nyakabanga, Dhauramanzi, Ndhlovu and Makona reported for duty, everything was in order.

They allegedly secured the property by locking all the doors to the warehouse and they deployed themselves to different positions.

The following morning, they carried out some perimeter fence checks and Makona discovered that a 10 000-litre tank had been stolen. They advised the complainant, sergeant Ernest Sazunza who reported the matter at Borrowdale Police Station.

Investigations were carried out, leading to the arrest of Dhauramanzi. Searches were conducted in Dhauramanzi’s room at Orchid Gardens and the detectives recovered a table cloth.

He was then interviewed in connection with the recovered property and he implicated Ndhlovu, Munyika, Nyakabanga and Makona, stating that they stole the 10 000-litre tank from the warehouse.

It is further alleged that follow-ups were made, which led to the arrest of the accused persons and recovery of 10 bags of cement, a floor carpet, four sewing machines and two backpacks from Huni’s residence.

The State alleges that two boxes containing eight folding plastic chairs, nine brick force rolls, one wheel spanner, two butchery cranes, four wheelbarrows and 11 table cloths were recovered from Ndhlovu and Makona.

Ten gold dinner plates, six white dinner plates and three wine glasses were recovered from Nomatter Sithole, who is Dhauramanzi’s girlfriend. The complainant was invited to identify the recovered property at the police station, and he did.

The recovered property is worth $1 million. Newsday

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