Robber in court for $979 899 gold heist

A MAN from Pumula South in Bulawayo, who was part of a five-member gang, appeared in court on Thursday facing armed robbery charges involving 1 170,30 grammes of gold worth almost $979 899.

The robbers recently pounced on miner, Gordon Sibanda who was driving from Fibausi carrying the precious metal.

They allegedly trailed him using a Honda Fit vehicle before robbing him of the gold.

Xolani Tshuma (41) was not asked to plead to robbery charges when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Adelaide Mbeure.

He was granted $1 000 bail and remanded to June 18. He was warned not to interfere with State witnesses, continue residing at his given address and report twice a week at the nearest police station.

The court was told that on March 6, Sibanda was driving along Hyde Park Road near Pumula Clinic, when Tshuma, in the company of Zamani Moyo (43), Thandazani Dube (41) and other two accomplices still at large, trailed him. When Sibanda parked his vehicle along Hyde Park Road, the robbers pounced on him.

It is the State case that they threatened Sibanda before assaulting him with a wheel spanner on the head demanding the gold. Tshuma, Moyo and Dube got away with 1 170,30g of gold.

Moyo and Dube were arrested in Kwekwe, leading to the recovery of 227g of gold.

Tshuma was implicated by Moyo and Dube who are already on remand. Only gold worth $189 999 was recovered.