The court case keeps going for Brighton Chipunza from Bulawayo. He must answer for taking a Toyota Fortuner from a car wash downtown last year. He tried to change lawyers, but the judge, Mr Joseph Mabeza, said the trial must continue anyway. Three people have already talked to the court about what happened. More court dates start April 15.
Miss Silibaziso Ncube told everyone she asked Mr Jonathan Thuli to take her car for cleaning on November 18. Mr Thuli gave the car to Mr Panashe Dube, who washes cars. Mr Dube cleaned it and parked it outside. Miss Ncube came back at 4 p.m., but her car was gone. She asked the workers what had happened and then called the police when she learned someone had taken her car.
Mr Thuli backed up her story. He said yes, he left the car with Mr Dube just like she asked him to. The third person who talked, Mr Nkosi Moyo, said Chipunza paid him cash to drive the stolen car from Bulawayo all the way to Harare. Chipunza picked him up at midnight from his house, and they went to Montrose, where the car sat hidden.
Chipunza handed him the keys and told him to bring the car to Julius Chitubhu in Harare. Mr Moyo planned to travel with his brother, who felt sick that day. Since Mr Moyo did not know the area well, he asked Chipunza to show him the way to town. They stopped for gas in Bradfield before heading toward Harare Road, where Chipunza explained what to do next.
Police found messages between Chipunza and the buyer plus his helper in Harare. A tracking company helped find the car at Chitubhu's yard in Harare. The car had no plates, and someone had ground off the engine number. Police discovered tools like a grinder, stencils, acid, and spray paint inside the car. The car wash cameras stopped working during the theft.
Chipunza faces fresh trouble for stealing another car. Police say he took a white Mercedes worth $13,000 from South Africa and sneaked it into Zimbabwe. He sold this car through a local dealer using a middle person who police caught and released. This person told police Chipunza did it all. The real car numbers read FG26FXGP with engine 27491030413400.
Police boss Paul Nyathi confirmed these new charges. On February 18, 2025, police stopped Wilfred Mafuka driving the white Mercedes without plates. They checked the computer records but found nothing about this car. They took Mafuka and the car to the police station. The international police database showed someone reported this car stolen in Johannesburg last October 26.
Police believe Chipunza belongs to a group stealing cars between South Africa and Zimbabwe. They are looking for more facts about these crimes. When they find them, they will take everything to court. Both cases show how car thieves work across borders and change vehicles to hide where they came from.
Miss Silibaziso Ncube told everyone she asked Mr Jonathan Thuli to take her car for cleaning on November 18. Mr Thuli gave the car to Mr Panashe Dube, who washes cars. Mr Dube cleaned it and parked it outside. Miss Ncube came back at 4 p.m., but her car was gone. She asked the workers what had happened and then called the police when she learned someone had taken her car.
Mr Thuli backed up her story. He said yes, he left the car with Mr Dube just like she asked him to. The third person who talked, Mr Nkosi Moyo, said Chipunza paid him cash to drive the stolen car from Bulawayo all the way to Harare. Chipunza picked him up at midnight from his house, and they went to Montrose, where the car sat hidden.
Chipunza handed him the keys and told him to bring the car to Julius Chitubhu in Harare. Mr Moyo planned to travel with his brother, who felt sick that day. Since Mr Moyo did not know the area well, he asked Chipunza to show him the way to town. They stopped for gas in Bradfield before heading toward Harare Road, where Chipunza explained what to do next.
Police found messages between Chipunza and the buyer plus his helper in Harare. A tracking company helped find the car at Chitubhu's yard in Harare. The car had no plates, and someone had ground off the engine number. Police discovered tools like a grinder, stencils, acid, and spray paint inside the car. The car wash cameras stopped working during the theft.
Chipunza faces fresh trouble for stealing another car. Police say he took a white Mercedes worth $13,000 from South Africa and sneaked it into Zimbabwe. He sold this car through a local dealer using a middle person who police caught and released. This person told police Chipunza did it all. The real car numbers read FG26FXGP with engine 27491030413400.
Police boss Paul Nyathi confirmed these new charges. On February 18, 2025, police stopped Wilfred Mafuka driving the white Mercedes without plates. They checked the computer records but found nothing about this car. They took Mafuka and the car to the police station. The international police database showed someone reported this car stolen in Johannesburg last October 26.
Police believe Chipunza belongs to a group stealing cars between South Africa and Zimbabwe. They are looking for more facts about these crimes. When they find them, they will take everything to court. Both cases show how car thieves work across borders and change vehicles to hide where they came from.