The ManicaPost
The stolen haulage truck was repainted green and had its number plates removed. INSET: Some of the fertiliser recovered in Nyazura
Fertiliser loot stashed in Nyazura
Tendai Gukutikwa and Julia N’andu : Post Correspondents
IN an usual vehicle theft case, a man from Mutare’s Chikanga high-density suburb teamed up with three fugitives to steal a Mozambican -registered haulage truck with 30 tonnes of Ammonium Nitrate.The truck was immediately repainted, foreign number plates removed while the chassis and engine numbers were tampered with to conceal evidence.
Donald Ngwenya (37) of House Number 3767, Chikanga 2 was convicted on his own guilty plea when he appeared before Mr Poterai Gwezhira.
He stole a Freightliner horse, Registration Numbers ACK 201 MC and a 30-tonne trailer, AA487MP.
The truck was Harare-bound loaded with 600x50kgs of Ammonium Nitrate.
Detectives have since launched a manhunt for the remaining suspects who were identified as Tatenda Manyande, Tinashe Munyamama and Carlos David.
The stolen fertilizer was sold while detectives recovered some of the bags that had been hidden at Chipembere roadside shopping complex near Nyazura.
Ngwenya faced charges of stealing a motor vehicle as defined in Section 113 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23.
Mr Fletcher Karombe prosecuted.
The court heard that on August 6 this year and at GMS Mutare (Mutare Dry Port), Ngwenya and his accomplices – who are still at large – connived and stole the haulage truck and the trailer which was loaded with fertiliser.
They stole the truck from a Mozambican who was ferrying the consignment to Msasa in Harare.
Said Mr Karombe: “Ngwenya was intercepted along Aerodrome Road while in possession of the stolen trailer. He was subsequently arrested. Upon interrogation he led the police to House Number 3767, Chikanga 2 where they had hidden the horse. The police also recovered the truck keys from the suspect.”
He will be sentenced on September 5. The value of the stolen property is $160 000.
Meanwhile, his other accomplice, Munyamama, was involved in a car accident along the Harare-Mutare as he fled from the police.
He left the damaged Toyota Hilux at the scene near Odzi.
