Guard nabbed for looting ZCDC diamonds

By Clayton Masekesa

As looting of diamonds continues through well organised syndicates including employees of Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Companies (ZCDC) at the porous Chiadzwa diamond fields, a security guard at the company is in remand prison facing theft charges for stealing five pieces of the precious stone.

Tanaka Chinefu (23) pleaded guilty to the charges when he appeared before Mutare magistrate Tendai Mahwe who will sentence him on April 26.

According to prosecutor Chris Munyuku, Chinefu from Chinetu village in Gutu and is employed as a security guard by Securico Security Company at the ZCDC premises.

In a State case, on April 10 2019 at around 6am, Chinefu was on duty deployed at a XRT a machine used in processing and picking of diamonds.

The duty of the accused person was to secure the diamonds and to guard other employees from stealing.

While on duty, Chinefu saw five pieces of diamonds on the ground and picked and hid them in his trousers pockets.

He was arrested by an informant Nobuhle Ncube who was on duty monitoring the Closed Circuit Television leading to his subsequent arrested. The stolen diamonds were recovered.

The arrest comes barely a week after four robbers wearing complete Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) and Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) uniforms working in cahoots with the suspected members of ZNA and ZRP hit portal A at Chiadzwa diamond field around midnight in what is viewed as a well-coordinated move.

However, luck ran out as they were nabbed by the police after a tip off and appeared at Mutare Magistrate court. They are in custody awaiting trial. ZimMorningPost