Woman up for hijacking truckload of drinks

A 35-year-old woman appeared at Chitungwiza Magistrates court on allegations of teaming up with her three male friends to hijack a truck-load of soft drinks along the Harare-Masvingo highway.

The suspects diverted the truck to Mhondoro-Mubaira road where they unhooked the trailer at a certain area between Gora and Watyoka business centres and stole the drinks.

Cecilia Chisanda and Norman Ruwizhi were not asked to plead to the robbery charges when they appeared before magistrate Mr Sheunesu Matova, who remanded them in custody to February 22.

Prosecutor Ms Nomsa Kangara, alleged that on January 13 this year Chisanda and Ruwizhi teamed up with two other men, who are still at large, and pretended to be passengers looking for transport.

They then allegedly boarded the truck which was loaded with soft drinks which was heading for Gains Cash and Carry at Jerera Growth Point, Masvingo.

It is said when they reached the 78km peg along Harare-Masvingo highway, they then grabbed the truck driver, threatened him with death and tied him with ropes.

They unhooked the trailer from the horse when they reached a certain area between Gora and Watyoka business centres and made off with the loot.

The court heard that the gang later went on to dump the driver near Watyoka Business Centre in Mhondoro.

Further allegations are that Chisanda and Ruwizhi and their accomplices called another truck onto which they loaded the loot.

It is said that they hired public service vehicles to carry the loot to places where they wanted to resell the stolen items.