(Last Updated on January 24, 2013 by Editor)
ZIMBABWE – A HARARE man stole a vehicle at the National Heroes Acre while people were busy burying the late Vice President Landa John Nkomo on Monday.
George Matongo (26) allegedly broke into a Nissan Hardbody belonging to Mr Wonder Dzuda who was attending the burial and started the engine using a screw driver.
He allegedly went for a joyride until he ran out of fuel, prompting him to seek police assistance in pushing the truck to the nearest service station in Graniteside. The unsuspecting police details on patrol helped him.
The police reportedly became suspicious as Matongo was drunk. Investigations revealed that the vehicle had been stolen and Matongo was arrested.
Matongo is now facing a charge of theft of a motor vehicle. He denied the allegations when he appeared before Magistrate Mr Rodgers Kachambwa. Matongo was remanded in custody to February 13 for trial.
Mr Kachambwa advised him to apply for bail at the High Court due to the gravity of the offence. Prosecutor Miss Memory Mukapa alleged that on January 21, Dzuda was attending VP Nkomo’s burial. Dzuda parked his Nissan Hardbody under a tree at the shrine.
It is the State’s case that Matongo also proceeded to the Heroes Acre around 11am and went to Dzuda’s vehicle.
He used an unknown object to open the vehicle and used a screwdriver to start the engine and drove away.
After the burial, Dzuda discovered that his vehicle had been stolen.
He made a police report at Warren Park police station. Matongo, who had gone for a joyride with the vehicle, ran out of fuel in Graniteside around 5pm.
He sought assistance from the police officers who were on patrol in the area. The unsuspecting cops helped him push the car to the nearest service station.
They later became suspicious and questioned Matongo who was heavily drunk. Matongo failed to produce his driver’s licence.
The court heard that the police searched the vehicle and discovered Dzuda’s identification documents. Matongo was subsequently arrested.