A BULAWAYO man linked to a notorious syndicate that has been terrorising motorists in “hotspots’ in Cowdray Park suburb has appeared in court. Butholezwe Ncube, 35, of Cowdray Park suburb is facing rape, kidnap and robbery charges.
Ncube together with two accomplices who are still at large, allegedly raped a woman in her husband’s presence after tying up the man’s feet and hands.
Ncube appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Sibongile Msipa Marondedze facing two counts of kidnapping, two counts of rape and a count of robbery.
He was not asked to plead to the charges and was remanded in custody to August 6.
Marondedze advised Ncube to apply for bail at the High Court.
Prosecuting, Mufaro Mageza said on July 4 shortly after 9PM, the woman and her husband were seated in their car which was parked in a secluded place near Cowdray Park Secondary School when Ncube confronted them at knifepoint.
Mageza said Ncube and his two accomplices broke the front window of the car on the driver’s side and ordered the husband to move to the back seat.
Ncube, the court heard, took to the steering wheel and drove into a bush.
The court heard that Ncube and one of his accomplices pulled the woman’s husband out of the car before they tied his feet and hands with shoe laces.
“Ncube then drew a knife and ordered the victim out of the car before force-marching her further into the bush where he raped her twice,” said Mageza.
Soon after raping the woman, Ncube ordered her to go back to the car while he repeatedly assaulted her with a sjambok.
The court heard how Ncube and his accomplices robbed the couple of $50, a wheel spanner, a jack hammer, a leather jacket, two car radio speakers, screw drivers, a pair of pliers and two cellphones. The total value of the stolen property is $310 and nothing was recovered.
“They stripped the husband and force marched him to the bush where they assaulted him with an axe handle several times and fled leaving him lying unconscious on the ground.
In another case, Ncube and an accomplice, Tendai Chizengwe, 28, robbed Mqondisi Sibanda of $586, two Nokia cellphones and groceries in Cowdray Park suburb.