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Crime Reporter 

A 22-year-old Harare man has been arrested for allegedly stealing a pick-up truck after the owner had parked it and left the keys on the ignition port while looking for some spare parts in Ardbennie on Independence day.

 The suspect, Munashe Magaya is alleged to have jumped into the vehicle, a GWM truck (ACU3788) and drove off.

Police said the owner discovered the offence and informed the police who then made a follow up.

On seeing that he was being followed, Magaya dumped the vehicle near Seke Road and fled but a chase was made leading to his arrest.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrest.

“Allegations are that a 42-year-old complainant parked the vehicle and left the keys on the ignition while looking for some car parts before the suspect entered the vehicle and drove away. A follow up was made resulting in the suspect being apprehended near Seke Road after he dumped the vehicle and fled on foot,” he said.

The incident comes after the two men who recently appeared in court on allegations of conniving to steal a car from the Office of the President and Cabinet after the driver parked it in Harare’s city centre to buy a pair of shoes are also still assisting police with investigations.

Lameck Phiri and Last Chinamasa were not asked to plead when they appeared before magistrate Mr Shane Kubonera and were remanded in custody and told they had to approach the High Court for bail.

The two were arrested by detectives from the vehicle Theft Squad and they are believed to have committed more crime cases in and around the city using the same method of operation.

On March 17 at around 9pm, Obey Mbofana parked a Toyota Quantum at the corner of Kenyatta Street (formerly Park Street) and Nelson Mandela Avenue to buy a pair of shoes from vendors trading along pavements.

The court heard that Mbofana left the keys on the ignition while choosing a pair of the right size.

But while he was negotiating the price, Chinamasa and Phiri allegedly opened the car from the passenger side and drove off.

Mr Mbofana heard the sound of a tyre skidding and saw the car being driven away at high speed.

He allegedly tried to give chase, but the two turned into Leopold Takawira Street from Nelson Mandela Avenue and disappeared.

On March 29, detectives from the vehicle theft squad received information that Crynonce Kasenga was in possession of one of Mr Mbofana’s stolen cellphones. He was apprehended and indicated that he had bought the cellphone from Phiri, who implicated Chinamasa.

The court heard that when the police conducted a search they recovered from him the stolen vehicle keys attached to a blue Honda Fit key.

Chinamasa allegedly led detectives to Zinanga Village, Chief Seke in Ziko where his father Simon Chinamasa lives. He in turn told police that the stolen car was parked at his homestead by his son.

Phiri led the police to a maize field in Sunningdale 2, Harare, where he had stashed the number plates for the Quantum. He then led to the recovery of parts stripped from the car from the places in Harare where they were sold.

The duo is also facing another count of vehicle theft for allegedly stealing Mr Isaac Chivero’s Toyota Runx in the city centre.

The court heard that Mr Chivero parked his car along Julia Zvobgo Street (formerly Rezende Street) leaving the key in ignition and went into a shop.

The car was stolen and was recovered when the two were arrested for stealing the Toyota Quantum.

The car was stripped and majority of the parts that had been sold were recovered.

In the third count, the duo stole and stripped Marvelous Wasakara’s Blue Honda Fit that she had parked along Leopold Takawira Street as she was buying bananas.

Phiri also appeared before Harare magistrate Barbra Mateko facing vehicle theft charges after he stole Owen Muleya’s beige Honda Fit.