45-Year-Old Arrested for Burglary in CBD Shops
Thabisani Ndlovu, a 45-year-old resident of Cowdray Park suburb, has been brought before the courts in Bulawayo on charges related to a burglary spree at a shopping mall in the city’s central business district. The alleged thefts involved laptops and cash totaling thousands of dollars.
According to the prosecution led by Ms. Dorcas Maphosa, Ndlovu, accompanied by two accomplices who remain at large, is accused of orchestrating a series of criminal activities targeting shops within the Royal Arcade Shopping Mall.
During his initial court appearance before Bulawayo provincial magistrate Mr. Maxwell Ncube, Ndlovu faced six counts of theft. He was remanded in custody pending trial, with the next hearing scheduled for today.
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The proceedings took an unexpected turn when Ndlovu claimed that he had been subjected to police brutality. This assertion prompted Magistrate Ncube to initiate an inquiry into the allegations, seeking to establish the veracity of Ndlovu’s claims.
The case has drawn attention due to the scale of the alleged burglaries and the involvement of multiple suspects, highlighting the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to address criminal activities in Bulawayo.
“On October 31, last year, Ndlovu and the other two at large broke into Jubilant Sibanda’s shop at Royal Arcade, Corner Fort Street and 9th Avenue, Bulawayo, and stole two Dell Latitude laptops,” she said.
On the same day and at the same shopping mall, the court was informed that the accused, in the midst of their burglary spree, targeted another shop owned by Priscilla Tsvetu. They reportedly stole a Tip laptop from her premises. Continuing their thefts, they then proceeded to break into Sithokozile Thusi’s shop, making off with US$833 in cash, seven computer backup power batteries, three Wahl hair clippers, an HP laptop, and a gaming keyboard.
“They then broke into Francis Zendegwa’s shop and made off with US$737 and R300. They proceeded to Kelvin T Phiri’s shop where they broke in and stole US$300 which was in an unlocked cash box and a Redmi cell phone,” said Ms Maphosa.
