By Thupeyo Muleya in Beitbridge
POLICE here have arrested 17 people, who allegedly assaulted police officers and security guards during a scramble for sugar that had spilled from a haulage truck.
The 17 suspects were part of a mob that desce-nded on the truck that overturned near Tshapfu-tshe Village along the Beitbridge-Masvingo Road.
The Zambia-bound truck overturned after the driver failed to negotiate a sharp curve.
The suspects, who have denied the charges, appeared before Beitbridge magistrate Mr Carrington Karidzagundi.
They were facing theft charges.
The suspects are Tomani Chilenje (56), Joseph Nalana (55), Netsai Chauke (26), Rosina Ndou (51), Nyadzani Siziba (54), Irene Mudau (27), Matodzi Siziba (32), Steni Dube (18), Melody Moyo (19), Flora Choeni (20), Skhangele Dube (32), Lucia Ngwenya (18), Tatenda Sibanda (22), Annah Shumba (21), Alice Chatoni (25), Mary Moyo (25) and Fungai Banda (23) — all from Tshapfutshe Village.
Mr Karidzagundi remanded the suspects out of custody to November 25.
The State, led by prosecutor Mr Jabulani Mberesi, alleged that on October 20, the haulage truck driver was travelling from South Africa to Zambia through Zimbabwe.
The truck was carrying a consignment of sugar. The driver failed to negotiate a sharp curve and the truck veered off the road before overturning.
The accident saw tonnes of sugar being spilled on the road.
Mr Mberesi told the court that villagers rus-hed to the scene and helped themselves to the sugar.
The driver raised alarm with his superiors who deployed security guards at the accident scene. The security guards were, however, met with fierce resistance from the mob which threw stones at them.
They were forced to enlist the services of police officers manning a tollgate near the accident scene.
Mr Mberesi said the undeterred villagers continued their attack on the security guards and police officers.
One of the police officers, Mr Mberesi told the court, fired a single shot into the air to disperse the crowd.
He said the villagers disappeared with the police managing to apprehend 17 of them while others were still at large.
Several cases of people salvaging spilled contents from haulage trucks involved in accidents have been reported across Zimbabwe.
Ruwa residents recently got away with tonnes of flour after a haulage truck overturned at a bridge along the Harare-Mutare Road.
A fortnight ago, people in Chitungwiza helped themselves to thousands of litres of Chibuku beer after a haulage truck spilled its cargo following an accident.
Published by the Herald 02 November 2010
www.herald.co.zw
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