Armed robbers appear in court, remanded in custody Two armed robbers Mthokozisi Moyo (second from left) and Makhosi Nkomo being escorted by police details to prison cells at the magistrates’ court housed at Tredgold Building in Bulawayo yesterday

Boitumelo Makhurane, Court Reporter
TWO armed robbers that were involved in a shootout with the police at Fourwinds in Bulawayo on Saturday have been linked to more robberies that occurred last year and earlier this year.

Mthokozisi Moyo (37), who is based in Johannesburg, South Africa and Makhosi Bryan Nkomo (31) from Mpopoma, were facing armed robbery charges when they appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Ms Marygold Ndlovu.

The duo is being charged together with Nkosilathi Ncube (42) of Gwanda, who is admitted to United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) after he sustained injuries while exchanging fire with the police.

The trio was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody until August 25.

Two of the suspects were fatally shot at the scene while the third one died at UBH.

The suspects were caught by police while attempting to rob Mr Mike Shawn Querl (45) at his house in Fourwinds.

Ncube is represented by Mr Robert Ndlovu of R Ndlovu and Company. Moyo is represented by Jabulani Ndubiwa of Mashayamombe and

Company, while Nkomo is represented by Bob Siansole of Dube, Mnguni, Dube legal practitioners.
However, when they appeared for their initial remand, it was revealed in court that Moyo and Nkomo committed other armed robberies in the city dating back to last year.

The court heard that on June 25 at around 6PM, Moyo blocked Mr Leon Mapanduki’s Toyota Mark X vehicle in Fourwinds and ordered him to stop at gunpoint.

Mr Mapanduki did not comply with the order and drove away. When Moyo opened fire, he stopped his car and ran away on foot.

Representing the State, Mr Denmark Chihombe said: “The complaint stopped his car and ran away on foot leaving behind cash amounting to US$5  000, two cellphones and a 9mm Smith and Wesson pistol. The accused persons got to the complainant’s car and drove it away before dumping it at Newton West after ransacking it and stealing Mapanduki’s cash, cellphones and the gun.”

On count two, Moyo in the company of two others who are still at large allegedly went to Masiyephambili College in Montrose armed with a pistol.

They allegedly approached the security guard, Tawanda Ndlovu and threatened him with a fire arm. They force-marched him to the caretaker’s house whom they further threatened, demanding the administration block keys.

Moyo is said to have fired two shots at the caretaker, Mr Bethel Moyo, hitting him on the thigh while threatening to kill him. They took the two to the administration block where they opened the door using a crowbar.

The accused persons ransacked the offices, but were disturbed by the Safeguard reaction team who came as they left and disappeared from the scene.

Spent cartridges were recovered at the scene and sent to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for examination.
Makhosi Bryan Nkomo was charged for three counts of armed robbery.

In October last year, Nkomo teamed up with his accomplices who are already on remand for the same case and went to Mrs Betty Moyo’s house in Cowdray Park armed with a pistol, axe and machete.

They hit Mrs Moyo with the back of an axe on the head and she fell. They then assaulted her all over the body with fists while demanding money.

They stole cash and two cellphones and the total value of the stolen property was R48 000.

On count two, Nkomo allegedly teamed up with his accomplices who are already on remand and went to Lewis Simbi’s house in Cowdray Park armed with a pistol, axe and machete.

They struck Simbi once on the right side of the head and on the left elbow with an axe, demanding cash. When they saw that he was not giving in, Nkomo fired a shot in the bathroom and Simbi led them to the bedroom where he gave them a satchel containing cash amounting to R42 000.
On count three, in April this year, Nkomo teamed up with seven others who are still at large and intercepted a Romicon Security

Company’s vehicle which was collecting cash at Choppies Supermarket in Parklands suburb.

Armed with pistols, the accused persons fired shots to threaten the security guards and disarmed them of their firearms. They offloaded cash trunks from the security company vehicle and disappeared from the scene in two cars.

The total value of the stolen property was $194  287, US$11 315 and R35 595, which was all not recovered.

Mr Chihombe opposed bail saying that the accused persons are likely to abscond as they came into the country from South Africa through border jumping. — @Boity104

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