2 more corpse robbers die in accidents

TWO more people who allegedly robbed Apostle Charles Chiriseri's corpse last year have died in freak accidents.

This brings to three the known number of people who have died after looting cash and goods at the scene of the accident which happened at the 388KM peg along the Harare-Bulawayo highway on September 15 last year.

The third person, a Constable Mkhokheli Mpofu (30), died last Friday after he was hit by a vehicle driven by a former police officer, Mr Peter Cahile, who failed to stop at a roadblock near the spot where Mpofu allegedly stole $200 from the late founder of His Presence Ministries International.

He was buried at Luveve Cemetery in Bulawayo on Monday.

A Kurai Bus Service conductor, Forget Chikweya, who allegedly stole a Samsung S6 at the accident scene, died on November 9 last year.

He was allegedly part of a group that stole groceries and gadgets before emergency service teams arrived.

Investigations by The Chronicle revealed that Chikweya was the only person who died in a car accident at the 13 KM peg along the Bulawayo-Plumtree Road.

Police recovered the cellphone from a Harare woman, Cynthia Nyanga and she said she bought it from Chikweya.

Honest Hleza, a fire fighter from the Bulawayo Fire Brigade who allegedly stole a laptop, died sometime in December last year.

Police recovered the laptop from a woman that he had sold it to.

Bulawayo Fire Brigade Senior Divisional Officer, Mr Linos Phiri, confirmed Hleza's death.

"Hleza died sometime in December in a car accident on his way to work. He died a few kilometres away from the Fire Station. He was the only one who died among a group of workers being transported to work," said Mr Phiri.

Mthandazo Rick Dube (34), a fellow fire fighter who is co-accused with Mpofu, was the only one injured in the accident and is said to have been admitted to a hospital for some time.

Commenting on Mpofu's death at the roadblock on Monday, some police officers said they thought Apostle Chiriseri's spirit was exacting vengeance.

The accident that seriously injured Mpofu occurred at the 397KM peg along the Harare-Bulawayo Highway in Mbembesi around 6PM. He died on admission to the United Bulawayo Hospitals on the same day at around 7.30PM.

Mr Cahile stopped a few metres from the accident scene and was immediately arrested.

Mpofu was scheduled to appear in court on March 28 for allegedly stealing $200 which was in the late Apostle Chiriseri's pocket at the accident scene.

He allegedly committed the crime with a colleague, Tawanda Mawere (31) and Dube, from the Bulawayo Fire Brigade.

The late apostle was travelling to Bulawayo with his wife pastor Pertunia Chiriseri who suffered serious injuries and was admitted in hospital for about a month before she was discharged.

Mpofu and Mawere were stationed at Mbembesi Police Station and according to state papers seen by The Chronicle, Dube retrieved the apostle's body from the wreckage and searched it.

"He then took $505, 95 from the wallet and recorded it in the Famona Fire Brigade log book and the two other accused persons, Mawere and Mpofu appended their signatures in the presence of Mount Olives International church pastor Gordon Dube who was one of the first people to arrive at the scene," read the court papers.

When Pastor Dube left the accident scene, the trio allegedly connived to steal $200 from the money they had recovered.

The theft was discovered when a relative to the late apostle, Bishop Colin Nyathi of Harvest House International Ministries communicated with Pastor Dube who revealed to him the amount of money that was found in Apostle Chiriseri's pocket.

Investigations led to the accused persons' arrest and they are set to appear in court on March 28.