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NRZ supervisor, foreman in court over alleged US$25,000 theft
13 Apr 2025 at 12:04hrs | Views
A National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) supervisor and a foreman appeared in court last week facing allegations of stealing railway equipment worth US$25,000 from the state-owned transport utility.
William Jamu (40) and Ronald Martin (37), a foreman at NRZ, were brought before Harare magistrate Winfilda Tiyatara on charges related to the theft of a traction motor from the NRZ Lochinvar Motive Power Depot in Harare.
The pair, represented by lawyer Tafadzwa Muvhami, allegedly connived to remove the valuable equipment from the depot under false pretenses on February 18, 2025.
According to the prosecution, Jamu instructed a general worker, Vushe Chimhau, to load the traction motor into a T35 vehicle belonging to NRZ under the guise that it was being transported to the Harare Depot. He then left the premises with the equipment and later linked up with Martin with the alleged intention to sell it.
Suspicion arose when the depot manager made inquiries about the movement of the traction motor and discovered that there had been no formal authorisation for its removal. A subsequent internal investigation led to the involvement of the police and the arrest of the two accused.
However, in a twist to the proceedings, Magistrate Tiyatara removed the accused from remand, citing insufficient evidence to proceed with the trial at this stage.
The ruling does not amount to an acquittal, and the matter may be revived if additional evidence emerges. The NRZ has not yet issued an official comment on the case.
William Jamu (40) and Ronald Martin (37), a foreman at NRZ, were brought before Harare magistrate Winfilda Tiyatara on charges related to the theft of a traction motor from the NRZ Lochinvar Motive Power Depot in Harare.
The pair, represented by lawyer Tafadzwa Muvhami, allegedly connived to remove the valuable equipment from the depot under false pretenses on February 18, 2025.
According to the prosecution, Jamu instructed a general worker, Vushe Chimhau, to load the traction motor into a T35 vehicle belonging to NRZ under the guise that it was being transported to the Harare Depot. He then left the premises with the equipment and later linked up with Martin with the alleged intention to sell it.
Suspicion arose when the depot manager made inquiries about the movement of the traction motor and discovered that there had been no formal authorisation for its removal. A subsequent internal investigation led to the involvement of the police and the arrest of the two accused.
However, in a twist to the proceedings, Magistrate Tiyatara removed the accused from remand, citing insufficient evidence to proceed with the trial at this stage.
The ruling does not amount to an acquittal, and the matter may be revived if additional evidence emerges. The NRZ has not yet issued an official comment on the case.
Source - the standard
