Four Zimbabweans up for armed robbery in Botswana

A prosecution in the case in which four Zimbabweans and a Botswana national are facing charges of armed robbery and possession of arms and ammunition in Botswana, made it clear Tuesday that they will do whatever it takes to make sure the accused were not granted bail, mmegi.bw reported Wednesday.

The five, Sikhumbozo Mpofu, 47, Lytton Dlamini, 41, Milton Shoko, 41, Denis Moyo, 35 and Thuso Maziba, 23, are alleged to have robbed Engine Filling Station and Caltex Filling Station in Mogoditshane when a spate of armed robberies hit Gaborone recently.

When updating the court on Tesday prosecutor Inspector Phale Kgamanyane said investigations into the case were still ongoing and there was a high possibility of the state introducing other accused persons."Four of the accused persons are Zimbabweans and they do not have papers allowing them to be in Botswana as such we pray that their remand be extended," said Kgamanyane.

He also said even though one of them is a Motswana they were against him been granted bail as he is a repeat offender. In response their attorney Madisa Kebonyemodisa said since the prosecution had submitted that their investigations were still ongoing they would not make any bail application for now. "However, the third accused persons says his travel documents are with Mogoditshane CID office and as such we request the court to make and order to the effect that these documents be released so that we use them when we apply for bail," said Kebonyemodisa.

Magistrate Taboka Slave ordered the police to avail the documents and set August 26 as the next mention date. The five appeared under heavy police escort and officers had their hands full barring their relatives who wanted to mingle with them. Their bail application is expected to be a strongly contested affair between the prosecution and the defence as the five are considered a danger to the public.