Zimbabwe: Man Loses 24 Tobacco Bales

Source from:  The Herald 04/16/2010

Harare - A MACHEKE man lost a vehicle laden with 24 bales of tobacco worth thousands of American dollars to thieves on Tuesday outside a tobacco processing firm in Southerton, Harare. The man left the engine running while he went into the nearby tobacco auction floors. Acting Harare provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Tarirai Dube yesterday confirmed the incident, but said no arrests had been made. She said the theft occurred at around 6am when Sam Maswazi went to Tobacco Processors Zimbabwe with the intention of selling his tobacco. When he saw some farmers jumping the queue he got out of his car and went to seek the assistance of authorities at the auction floor. He, however, saw his Toyota vehicle, registration number 837 857V, valued at US$8 000, moving. He tried to call for help but the thieves sped off. Maswazi is said to have hired a kombi to chase the truck but failed to catch the fleeing thieves. The case was reported at Mbare police. Nothing has been recovered and police investigations are continuing. Asst Insp Dube advised farmers to exercise caution at the tobacco sales floors as thieves were on the prowl. Meanwhile, three Cold Storage Company workers in Chinhoyi and their alleged accomplice have been arrested for reportedly conniving to prejudice a customer by exchanging his better graded meat with condemned meat. Shepherd Ngore, who is the acting supervisor at the stockyard, Michael Muneri (acting supervisor, dressing floor), Arnold Nhau (stock control clerk) and Blessing Zuva -- who is employed at K and K -- recently appeared before Chinhoyi magistrate Mr Ngoni Nduna facing fraud charges. Prosecutor Mr Trustmore Mukarati alleged that three customers brought their cattle for slaughter at CSC Chinhoyi depot on February 1. Zuva's cow died before slaughter and was condemned. The following day, Ngore allegedly cancelled Mr Ngoni Ruwani's name on the slaughter sheet and replaced it with Zuva's. The action prejudiced Ruwani who had better graded meat. They are suspected to have followed Zuva who benefited from their deal asking for a bribe. On noticing the anomaly, Mr Ruwani immediately rejected the carcass after it was presented to him and sought recourse with the authorities leading to the arrest of the four men. The authorities insisted on him having the carcass and he took it to K and K Butchery who had allegedly benefited. The value of the carcass stolen was US$598 and part of it worth US$120 was recovered. Enditem