BULAWAYO A provincial executive member of the MDC-T could languish in jail for 10 years after being convicted of stealing copper cables in Nyamandlovu.Alick Gumede (51), of 61047 Pelandaba pleaded not guilty to theft but was convicted by Bulawayo magistrate, Sithembiso Ncube last week. He was remanded out of custody to today for sentencing. The magistrate postponed sentencing to enable her to ascertain the value of the copper cables.
The prosecutor, Evans Mungoni, told the court that on February 3, this year, Gumede went to the Highfields area in Nyamandlovu and cut 17 rolls of copper cables belonging to the National Railways of Zimbabwe( NRZ).While loading the loot into his pick-up truck, Gumede was disturbed by a passerby and drove off with three rolls of copper cables after concealing 14 rolls that he left behind. He subsequently returned to the scene to collect them.
NRZ security guards tried to apprehend him this time but he evaded them and drove off at high speed. Nyamandlovu police who gave chase however, managed to catch up with Gumede in the Luveve Cemetery in Bulawayo.