A gang of five armed robbers from Beitbridge which was reportedly working in cahoots with the notorious John Sithole alias Kedha to commit a spate of robberies in the border town, is set to appear in court for trial Tuesday next week.
They are facing 35 counts of armed robbery and one count of murder- all committed in Beitbridge.
Kedha was recently gunned down following a shootout with a police crack team in gunfire confrontations lasting for about 14 hours at a house in Dulivhadzimu suburb. This was after the now deceased Kedha had held 10 people hostage at his rented house in the populous African township.
Kedha’s captives during the fateful day included fellow tenants, his wife and her 10-year-old sister. They were later rescued following a deployment of the crack Police Special Tactics Team (PSTT).
His suspected criminal accomplices who include Blessing Itai Chiri (38), Dereck Ndou (34), Brian Mukosi (30), Mapfumo Makhado (31) and Taurai Coaster Dube (42) all of Dulivhadzimu were arrested by Beitbridge police on October 20.
Appearing before Beitbridge regional magistrate Stanford Mambanje yesterday, the five asssailants were not asked to plead to the criminal charges levelled against them. The magistrate remanded them in custody to Tuesday 10 November, 2020.
It is the state’s case that the five suspected armed robbers- together with three others who are still at large- committed 35 armed robberies and one murder case in Beitbridge district.
Manyonga Kuvarega prosecuted.
Zwnews/state media
