FIVE suspected armed robbers, who allegedly stormed several Bulawayo schools and businesses, stealing property worth over $5 900, have been further remanded in custody to November 11 this year.
BY SILAS NKALA
The suspects, Nqobizitha Ndlovu (33), Tapelo Moemedi (22) a Botswana national Nhlanhla Ncube (28), Thomson Phuthi (38) and Thobani Thebe (30), were not asked to plead to the armed robbery charges when they appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Tinashe Tashaya on Monday.
The court heard that on September 12 this year, the suspects stormed Tategulu Primary School in Cowdray Park at night and manhandled security guards manning the premises.
They allegedly broke the padlock and got into the administration block, where they blasted open the strong room using explosives and stole $1 297 and two cellphones belonging to the guards, before they fled the scene.
Using the same modus operandi, the suspects struck at Sikhulile High School in Lobengula West on September 17, where they allegedly intimidated the security guards and tied them together, before using explosives to open a strong room.
They went away with a vehicle registration book for the school bus and Standard Chartered Bank cheques.
On October 12, the same gang allegedly pounced at Solatex Marketing (Pvt) Ltd in Kelvin North and manhandled the security guard and tied his hands together using shoelaces.
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They then broke into the shopping mall, where they stole television sets, laptops, four boxes of gear oil, six boxes of engine oil and three pints of gear oil and vanished into the night.
The following night, they allegedly raided Enkundleni Sports Bar in Emganwini after scaling a perimeter wall and ordered the guard to lie down before tying his hands.
They then went into the sports bar and stole beer, a television set, disco system and cellphones all valued at $1 480.
The suspects were then arrested on October 14.
