Three Bulawayo men have been handed lengthy prison sentences for a brazen series of robberies targeting Econet Wireless base stations. Themba Moyo (55), Carlton Ndlovu (44), and Tshidzani Mpofu (33) were each sentenced to a total of 48 years or 16 years imprisonment for each of them and fined US$600 by Bulawayo Regional magistrate, Mrs Dambudzo Malunga.
However, the trio will serve an effective 10 years after the magistrate suspended six years of the sentence, considering mitigating factors such as their status as family men and breadwinners. A further three-year suspension is contingent upon their restitution of US$2,000 to Econet Wireless for damages caused. An additional six-month jail term or a US$600 fine was imposed for selling diesel without the necessary licence or permit.
The magistrate’s judgment highlighted the severity of the crimes committed.
“The offenders traumatised the security guards by tying them with cable wires and robbing them. They prejudiced Econet greatly by stealing large quantities of diesel. Moreover they used dangerous weapons in the commission of the crime. They deserve a term of imprisonment without the option of a fine,” she stated.
The court deemed the crimes heinous, citing the sabotage not only of Econet Wireless infrastructure but also the disruption of service to its users. The prosecution presented compelling evidence linking the trio to the offences, including the recovery of stolen property.
The prosecution, led by Mr Owen Mugari, detailed the events of May 27th, when the trio, arriving in a silver-grey Honda Fit driven by Mpofu, targeted an Econet base station in Rangemore suburb. Moyo and Ndlovu, armed with a spanner and bolt cutters, overpowered the security guard, binding his hands and feet with cable ties before stealing his two Itel cell phones.
“They force-marched the security guard to a secluded area, about 30 to 40 metres away from the base station and ordered him to lie down on the ground,” Mr Mugari recounted. The pair then proceeded to break into the base station, using spanners to drain 900 litres of diesel. This stolen fuel was subsequently transported to Emakhandeni suburb and sold to fuel dealers – Mr Itayi Yekeye, Mr Dumisile Nkiwane, and Ms Perseverance Hove.
A significant breakthrough in the investigation came from the cooperation of one of the accused, who led police to the recovery of 1 020 litres of diesel from a fuel dealer’s residence, with a total value of US$992 recovered.
The court heard that on June 3rd, the trio employed the same modus operandi at another Econet base station along the Bulawayo/Nkayi Road. Armed with a spanner, hacksaw, and bolt cutters, they incapacitated the security guard, searching him for a panic button before tying him up. This time, they stole a Techno cell phone, US$150 cash, a laptop, and a pair of sneakers, in addition to draining 2 000 litres of diesel.
The stolen items – the cell phone, laptop, and sneakers – were recovered from Mpofu’s home. Police also recovered 620 litres of diesel from the same fuel dealers implicated in the earlier incident. The meticulous investigation, coupled with the cooperation of one of the accused, proved instrumental in securing the convictions.
