By Paul Katanda

A 48-year old man from Chitungwiza was brought before the Harare Magistrates court answering to allegations of theft after he allegedly fled with tobacco inputs worth over US$23 000.

Wilson Mazhindu appeared before Harare magistrates, Yeukai Dzuda and he was  remanded  to this Tuesday for bail application.

It is alleged Mazhindu and three of his accomplices, who are already on remand, connived to steal from a local director of Kythan Trading, who needed transporters for her tobacco inputs.

On November 2 last year, Mazhindu allegedly approached Nyasha Maponga and lied to her that they were transporters who could deliver her inputs to Harare Mashonaland Tobacco Company branch in Mt Darwin, where she wanted them delivered.

The inputs were supposed to be transported from Trowbar Enterprises (Pvt) Limited.

They went to Trowbar Enterprises and loaded their truck then drove off to Mt Darwin as per loading instructions.

The driver, Samuel Mackenzie, picked Golden Mutanda at Marlborough enroute to Mount Darwin, and parked in Bindura for the night.

Mazhindu and his accomplices stole the tobacco inputs consignment destined for Mt Darwin and loaded it into two 15 ton truck lorries and took them back to Harare for re-sale.

Maponga was informed that same day by Bothwell Chakwanda that the load never arrived as per their arrangement.

They tried to contact the driver for clarification, but his phone was no longer reachable.

Investigations were carried out, which led to the arrest of Kingstone Mukeredzi and the recovery of 25x 5 litre N-Decanol herbicides and 5 X 20 X 300 black plastic sheeting material, which was part of the stolen consignment.

According to court papers, Mukeredzi led detectives to Esau Chitseko and Willard Hukura in Mbare, where he had bought the recovered tobacco inputs.

They told the detectives that they bought everything from Mazhindu, leading to his arrest.