Zimpapers Logo

Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
A BULAWAYO-BASED police officer stole a bull worth $4,000 from the Matobo Research Farm and was apprehended after a 3KM high speed car chase.The officer was handed over to police by farm workers after the rear tyre of his vehicle burst, forcing him to stop. His alleged accomplices fled from the scene and are still at large.

Washington Machenu, 41, who is stationed at Mzilikazi Police Station, allegedly connived with the accomplices and visited to the farm where they slaughtered a breeding bull. They loaded the meat onto Machenu’s vehicle and drove off.

Machenu appeared before Plumtree magistrate Gideon Ruvetsa facing a charge of stock theft. He was remanded out of custody to October 10 for trial.

Prosecuting, Stanley Chinyanganya said Machenu is alleged to have stolen the bull on July 31.

“On 31 July Washington Machenu connived with Sheilla Dube and they teamed up with other accomplices who are still at large and proceeded to Matobo Research Farm where they slaughtered a breeding bull,” said Chinyanganya.

He said four farms workers who were on patrol stopped them as they were driving out of the farm and demanded to search the vehicle.

The court heard that instead Machenu drove out of the farm at high speed resulting in a car chase with the farm workers.

“Machenu was finally arrested after fleeing for a distance of about three kilometres when his car had developed a rear tyre puncture and while he was in the process of offloading the meat. His accomplices had fled from the scene,” said Chinyanganya.

The court heard that the policeman was handed                                 over to the police who made further investigations and discovered that the beef which was loaded in his car was of a stolen bull which had gone missing at Matobo Research Station.

The recovered beef weighed 194 kilogrammes.

Machenu denied having stolen the meat and claimed that he had been sent to collect the bull by its owner. He claimed that his suspected accomplices had been tasked to accompany him by the owner of the bull.