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Mashudu Netsianda Senior Court Reporter
A BULAWAYO kombi driver and a tout, who allegedly kidnapped a policeman and drove around the city as they assaulted him before robbing him of his cellphone, will know their fate tomorrow (Friday). Dumisani Sibanda, 25, a kombi driver and Tonderai Chikwenje, 27, a tout both from Gwabalanda suburb, appeared before regional magistrate Crispen Mberewere on a charge of kidnapping.
They pleaded not guilty and were remanded to tomorrow for judgment.

Prosecuting, Tinashe Dzipe told how on March 25 shortly after 11PM, Matthew Mariwa, a policeman, was patrolling with colleagues when they spotted Sibanda and Chikwenje’s kombi parked at an undesignated loading bay at the intersection of 6th Avenue and Lobengula Street.

“Mariwa approached Sibanda and Chikwenje and entered their car, a Toyota Hiace. He told the two accused persons that they were under arrest for loading passengers in an undesignated area,” said Dzipe.

The court was told that Sibanda started the vehicle and sped off along Victoria Falls Road towards Amakhosi Cultural Centre.
“The accused told Mariwa that they were going to deal with him before they sped off with him. Chikwenje and another accomplice only identified as Sigubhu who is still at large, started assaulting Mariwa with fists and head-butted him as they drove towards Amakhosi Cultural Centre. They also took his Nokia cellphone,” said Dzipe.

Mariwa sustained bruises and had to be taken to hospital for treatment.
Admire Mutizwa, a policeman who was with Mariwa during the patrol, hired a taxi and followed the kombi and found it parked near Amakhosi.

“On realising that we were following them, the accused persons left Amakhosi and drove off along Luveve Road and we continued pursuing them in a hired taxi until we reached a house in Luveve where the accused dumped Mariwa and fled,” Mutizwa said.

Mariwa and Mutizwa went to the police station where they filed a report. Detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Vehicle Theft Squad tracked down the kombi leading to the arrest of the pair.