Member of 6kg gold heist gang nabbed

ONE of the four-man gang that reportedly robbed five security guards of more than 6kg of gold worth US$340 000 at gunpoint in Kwekwe early this month has been arrested in Harare.

Five National Eye security guards were transporting 6 335 kg of gold from Jena Mine in Silobela to Harare when the gang blocked the road and pounced on them around 5am.

The gang also set the armoured vehicle that was carrying the gold on fire and made off in an escort vehicle.

The guards allegedly escaped with minor injuries as they forced open the "escape door" on the roof of the armoured vehicle, which was burning.

One of the suspects, Jimmy Ngonyana (28), who is a Zimbabwean but resident in South Africa, was arrested in Kuwadzana where he had sought refuge last Thursday.

He tried to run away from the police but the police crack team reacted swiftly when they shot and injured him.

Ngonyana was found in possession of a South African identification card with a different name.

His accomplices are on the run.

Upon his arrest Ngonyana, it is alleged, led the police to the recovery of two vehicles, a Mercedes Benz and a Honda Fit sedan he had bought using proceeds from the sale of gold.

He also led to the recovery of two pistols and 6 grams of gold. Ngonyana was on Friday remanded on his hospital bed to July 27 by Harare Magistrate Ms Anita Tshuma.

He is being charged with two counts of attempted murder and robbery.

Prosecutor Mr David Magwegwe alleges that on July 5 the security guards locked the gold into the vault of the vehicle, which was being driven by Charles Dangarembizi, who was in the company of Richard Simao and Shepherd Dzinavatonga.

The other two guards, Frederick Mukombami and Kudakwashe Mukwashi, were following behind with an escort vehicle, a Toyota corolla.

It is alleged Simao, Dzinavatonga and Mukwashi were all armed with revolver pistols.

The suspected armed robbers blocked the road using tree branches at the 2,5 km peg along Kwekwe-Silobela road.

On noticing that the road was blocked, the security vehicles stopped and the gang armed with pistols, suddenly pounced on them.

They shot and deflated the tyres of the vehicle which was carrying the precious mineral before smashing the front passenger window of the escort vehicle.

One of the men disarmed Mukwashi and ordered him and Mukombani to lie on the ground, it is alleged.

As the gang was busy harassing Mukwashi and Mukombani, Dangarembizi took advantage and sped off with the other vehicle but he lost control of the vehicle and veered off the road.

The suspects left one of them guarding the escort vehicle as they followed the armoured vehicle.

They disarmed Simao and forced him together with Dangarembizi out of the vehicle while Dzinavatonga remained at the back.

It is the State's case that Dzinavatonga fired once at the robbers, who then shot him on the leg.

Dzinavatonga was also disarmed, it is alleged.

It is further alleged that the gang bundled all the five security guards into the back of the vehicle and locked it from outside.

They sprinkled petrol all over the vehicle before setting it on fire.

The gang used the escort vehicle as the get-away car and they took with them the gold and the pistols.

The complainants managed to escape through the roof.