One of Zimbabwe’s most wanted serial robbers based in South Africa, Bongani Moyo, has been rearrested 12 days after he walked out of Pretoria Regional Court where he was awaiting trial on 35 counts of bank robbery.
South African police spokesperson Brigadier Neville Malila told NewsDay yesterday Moyo was arrested on Sunday while hiding inside a car alongside three other Zimbabweans in Hillbrow, Johannesburg.
The three — identified as Leon Ncube, Thabani Sibanda and his cousin Khumbulani Sibanda — have since been charged with harbouring a wanted criminal.
“Moyo was arrested in Hillbrow just after 10pm,” said Malila in a telephone interview yesterday. Moyo — who has twice escaped from lawful custody in the neighbouring country — was denied bail yesterday when he appeared at the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court.
He is facing charges related to more than 35 bank heists and two prison escapes, on May 12 and August 10.
Meanwhile, the body of a Zimbabwean man — Mthungameli Terrence Mpofu — who was killed by South African police detectives during interrogation for allegedly harbouring Moyo, is yet to be brought to Zimbabwe for burial.
South African police sources said Mpofu’s body was still in South Africa as investigations around his death were still ongoing.
“By South African standards, it takes time to complete investigations and have the body cleared for burial. He (Mpofu) is still here,” said the source.
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Nkosinathi Mpofu, who was the late Mpofu’s neighbour at Preston flats in Berea, Johannesburg, said the body was “yet to be taken home for burial”.
“It seems he will be buried home (Zimbabwe), but his body is yet to leave South Africa,” he said.
Last Wednesday, a special South African police unit, the Hawks, allegedly killed Mpofu during interrogation while hunting for the fugitive Moyo.
It is alleged police raided Mpofu’s apartment on Wednesday after they had received information that he had been seen with Moyo.
South African Police Services spokesperson McIntosh Polela denied responsibility and claimed Mpofu collapsed during interrogation.
He said the police wanted to take Mpofu for questioning about Moyo’s whereabouts but, “when Mpofu resisted arrest there was a scuffle between him and the police and he (Mpofu) collapsed and died”.
Polela said the Independent Complaints Directorate was now investigating the matter. Mpofu was from the Sivomo area in Nkayi district in Matabeleland North.
