Passenger loses luggage to pirate taxi driver

A 34-YEAR-OLD Dangamvura pirate taxi driver who plies the Nyanga-Mutare route sped off with a passenger's luggage worth $920 before dumping it at Rochdale Turn-off following a misunderstanding last week.
The passenger, a teacher at Mapako Secondary School lost a leather bag, a taxi bag, $450 cash, a Nokia Lumia phone and various clothes which amounted to $920 in the incident.

It is alleged that on September 4 at around 4pm, the driver, Trust Sithole negotiated with Ellen Mawondo of Chikanga Phase 2 to ferry her to Mutare in his car.

It is alleged that during that time, Ellen's relative, Honest Bhasvi arrived and asked to offer Ellen a lift to Mutare, but Sithole would not hear of it. They tried to convince him but Sithole refused and sped off with the bags.

Bhasvi and Mawondo later followed Sithole to Mutare and called him after arrival. They met at Sakubva Swimming Pool Bus Stop where Sithole told them that he had dumped the bags at Rochdale Turnoff in Nyanga. Mawondo phoned police in Nyanga who told her that the bags had vanished.

A report was made to the police and Sithole was arrested. He is expected to appear in court on September 21 on theft of trust property charges.