A 35-year-old Cowdray Park man has been jailed for kidnapping a motorist who had offered two of his accomplices a lift along the Bulawayo-Tsholotsho Road.
Ability Tshuma, 35, of Cowdray Park, Bulawayo, was convicted of kidnapping by the Bulawayo Magistrates’ Court following a trial.
His two alleged accomplices remain at large.
The court heard that on February 13, 2025, at around 7pm, the complainant, Jokonia Matendere, 38, was driving a Honda Fit along the Bulawayo-Tsholotsho Road when he picked up two men at Nyamandlovu.
The two men allegedly diverted him to Stevens Village under the pretext of picking up someone.
Once there, they allegedly grabbed Matendere by the neck, tied his hands, taped his mouth shut and locked him in the boot of his own vehicle.
They then drove towards Bulawayo before parking in a bushy area and demanding money from him.
The following day, the court heard, the men forced Matendere to call his wife and ask her to collect money from his pastor, claiming it was needed to pay mechanics. The attempt was unsuccessful.
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The two men then drove to Cowdray Park, where they allegedly picked up Tshuma before heading towards Zimnyama, Plumtree.
On February 15, 2025, the court heard that after villagers became suspicious, the three men allegedly tied Matendere to a tree and abandoned the vehicle.
They later untied him and forced him to cross into Botswana with them on foot.
In Botswana, the trio allegedly entered a homestead where they found an elderly man alone.
The court heard that they forced Matendere to tie up the man before stealing household property.
When the elderly man's daughter arrived at the homestead, one of the accomplices, who remains at large, allegedly sexually assaulted her.
Matendere managed to escape to a neighbouring homestead, where he reported the matter to Botswana Police.
The case remained unresolved until August 14, 2026, when Matendere spotted Tshuma along Fort Street in Bulawayo.
He alerted patrolling police officers, who arrested Tshuma at the scene.
Tshuma was remanded in custody to commence his sentence.
Police investigations to locate and arrest his alleged accomplices are continuing.
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