Bulisani Moyo, an 18-year-old from Exchange Village in Inyathi, and Ocean Mpofu, a 20-year-old with no fixed abode, were recently arraigned before the Bulawayo Magistrates’ Court facing serious r0bbery charges stemming from a carjacking incident on November 13.
Prosecutor Siphiwe Mhlanga detailed the harrowing events experienced by the victim, Abinara Moses, a driver who was parked in his sky blue Honda Fit near Chicken Inn, waiting for potential customers when the two accused approached him.
They allegedly posed as prospective passengers needing a ride to Woodville in Umguza, which led Moses to accept their request.
After one of the accused called Moses to arrange a pick-up from Pick n Pay along Fort Street and 10th Avenue, the situation quickly escalated upon reaching Plot 50 in Woodville.
While driving along the Bulawayo-Nkayi Road, one of the suspects, positioned in the back seat, suddenly grabbed Moses from behind, brandishing a knife and threatening his life.
Fearful for his safety, Moses lost control of his vehicle, which subsequently veered off the road and crashed into a ditch.
In the chaos, the accused stole Moses’s Samsung Galaxy A13 cellphone, along with R500 and US$15 in cash, before tying his hands and legs with a cloth and marching him to a secluded area where they forced him to lie face down.
Following their escape in his vehicle, Moses, after managing to free himself, promptly reported the incident to Queens Park police, who wasted no time launching an investigation into the crime.
This swift action led to the arrest of both suspects, while the stolen vehicle and cellphone were recovered shortly thereafter.
The combined total value of the stolen items was estimated at US$3,115, with the vehicle and cellphone alone valued at US$3,090.
As both accused face serious counts of robbery, the court case has been adjourned pending further investigations into the alarming crime.
