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Beitbridge Bureau
FIVE men have appeared in court for an alleged armed robbery spree in which they killed one person in Beitbridge together with the notorious John Sithole, aka Kedha, who was recently killed in a shootout with the police.

Kedha held 10 people hostage at his rented house in Dulivhadzimu house in a 14-hour standoff with police.

He later released the captives after the intervention of the Police Special Tactics Team (PSTT).

The five, who appeared in court on Thursday are Blessing Itai Chiri (38), Dereck Ndou (34), Brian Mukosi (30), Mapfumo Makhado (31), and Taurai Coaster Dube (42), all of Dulivhadzimu in Beitbridge.

The accused, who were arrested on Tuesday, were not asked to plead to the charges when they appeared before Beitbridge resident magistrate Mr Toyindepi Zhou.

The five were remanded in custody to November 4 for trial at the regional court.

Allegations are that the accused, together with three others who are still at large, committed 35 robberies and one murder case in Beitbridge district.

Prosecuting, Mr Tariro Makaya said the five accused were arrested on Tuesday evening in Beitbridge following investigations.

The court heard that following the death of Sithole, the police got information on the whereabouts of the accused persons. They tracked them to a house in Dulivhadzimu suburb.

The detectives arrested Chiri first and he assisted with information leading to the arrest of his accomplices.

A cellphone stolen during the murder of one Andy Culkin Masuka a few weeks ago in a bush close to Makakhavhule Cemetery, west of Beitbridge town, was later recovered from Chiri. The state said the cellphone belonged to a woman who was with Masuka.

Police also recovered five other cellphones linked to armed robbery cases from the other four accused persons.