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Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe

Prosper Dembedza Court Correspondent
Three men yesterday appeared in court for allegedly stealing an iPhone 6 valued at $1 500 from the President’s youngest son, Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe.

Victor Josam (26), Tendai Makambaire (30) and Kelvin Mwandayi (27) were charged with theft when they appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Vakayi Chikwekwe.

They were granted $100 bail each.

As part of their bail conditions, the three were to continue residing at their given addresses and not to interfere with witnesses.

Prosecutor Ms Venencia Mutake had earlier on opposed bail citing that the three were a flight risk and were likely to abscond since they are unemployed.

In his defence, Josam said he never stole the cellphone, but bought it from someone else.

Makambaire, through his lawyer Mr Arthur Gurira, told the court that he never stole the iPhone 6, but bought it from Josam.

“My client is a proper candidate for bail and he has no previous convictions, and is not likely to abscond,” he said.

Mwandayi had the same defence with Makambaire indicating that he bought the iPhone from him.

In granting bail, Mr Chikwekwe said being unemployed is not reason enough to deny the trio bail.

He said if murderers are granted bail, what about the three who are facing charges of stealing a cellphone.

“The three are proper candidates for bail and should pay $100 bail each,” he said.

They will be back in court on March 7.

Allegations are that on November 7 last year, the three and an accomplice who is still at large hatched a plan to steal from unsuspecting students who were at a function at St John’s College.

The court heard that the trio allegedly proceeded to St John’s College in Borrowdale where they targeted Chatunga who had an iPhone 6.

It is alleged that at one point Chatunga went to the toilet in the company of his friend, Honour Mukudzei Rwodzi.

It is alleged that Chatunga gave Rwodzi the iPhone 6 as he entered the toilet.

It is further alleged that it was at that juncture that the trio approached Rwodzi and misrepresented that they had been sent by Chatunga to collect his phone.

The court heard that Rwodzi allegedly handed over the iPhone to them after which they disappeared into the crowd.

A report was made leading to the arrest of the trio and recovery of the phone.