BY NKOSENTSHA KHUMALO Top Zapu official who once contested for the party presidency will appear before the Bulawayo Magistrates Court on Thursday next week facing a charge of failing to secure his firearm after it was reported missing.
Mathew Sibanda (59) of Kensington’s Plot B in Hope Valley appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Nobuhle Ndlovu last Friday and was remanded out of custody to July 28.
Sibanda was not asked to plead to the charge.
Prosecutor Portia Mshungu told the court that on June 28 this year, Sibanda put his licensed 9mm Noringo pistol in a satchel and placed it behind the driver’s seat of his Toyota Land Cruiser while in Lupane.
The pistol had a magazine with eight rounds of ammunition.
Upon arrival in Bulawayo that evening, Sibanda made a police report after realising that his firearm was missing, leading to his arrest.
In an unrelated matter, two Bulawayo mine workers, Hlakaniphani Moyo (30) of Willsgrove Farm and Bhekumuzi Sibanda (18) have been jailed six months in prison on charges of stealing two bags of gold ore at Willsgrove East Mine.
They appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Nobuhle Ndlovu on Thursday where they pleaded guilty to the charges.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Ndlovu sentenced them to six months each in prison before suspending three months on condition of good behaviour.
The remaining three months were later committed to 105 hours of community service at Cement Primary School starting Monday next week.
The court heard that on July 15 this year, the duo was intercepted by an alert security guard, Patrick Chimoto while they were carrying two sacks containing stolen gold ore.
They were handed over to the police. The recovered gold ore was seized by the police.
- Follow us on Twitter @NewsDayZimbabwe
