Bulawayo woman remanded over US$24 000 theft during armed robbery incident

Nothando Banana (35), a resident of Bahram Green suburb in Bulawayo, has been further remanded in custody after appearing in court for her alleged role in a theft during an armed robbery incident that took place in October 2024. The accused woman is facing charges of stealing US$24,400 from a steel manufacturing company, where she was entrusted with safeguarding the company's funds.

Banana, who had initially been granted bail of US$100, had been out of custody after her first court appearance but was remanded back into custody following a routine remand hearing on Wednesday. The case is now scheduled for a hearing on March 24, 2025.

The incident, which took place on October 15, 2024, involved a gang of robbers armed with pistols and a garden pick, who stormed the company's premises and violently stole US$32,500. During the robbery, the suspects confronted security guards and workers on night duty, binding their hands and legs with shoelaces before heading to an office upstairs, where they used a grinder to cut open two safes.

However, it is alleged that while the robbers successfully accessed one of the safes, Banana, who was responsible for managing funds from salespersons, took advantage of the situation to steal US$24,400 from a separate safe. According to court documents, Banana was in charge of depositing cash from the sales team before handing it over to her superiors. The robbers, however, did not target the safe that Banana was entrusted with.

In a turn of events, after the robbery, company authorities conducted an inventory of the losses and discovered that the safe containing US$27,000, which was under Banana's responsibility, had not been tampered with. Upon questioning her, Banana allegedly admitted to taking the money and using it for her personal benefit.

"The company then requested the keys to the safe from the accused, and upon opening it, only US$2,600 was found, missing over US$24,000," court records stated.

Following her confession, Banana was apprehended the following day and charged with theft of trust funds.

Banana is being represented by Mr. Bob Siansole of Shenje and Company. The case has garnered significant attention, with the next court appearance scheduled for March 24, 2025, to determine the course of the legal proceedings.

As the investigation continues, Banana's actions have raised serious questions about trust and security within corporate environments, with the company now left to grapple with the consequences of the theft.