HARARE
–
A
maid
and
gardener
accused
of
staging
a
brazen
US$80,000
theft
from
their
employer’s
Borrowdale
home
in
Harare
have
been
remanded
in
custody
following
their
first
court
appearance.
Sarah
Matemarunda,
59,
and
Milton
Mudimu
allegedly
ripped
out
a
wall-mounted
digital
safe
from
businessman
Gift
Mzilikazi’s
bedroom
before
vanishing
with
cash,
ammunition
and
travel
documents.
The
pair
appeared
before
Harare
magistrate
Tapiwa
Kuhudzayi
at
the
weekend,
but
their
bail
hearing
was
postponed
to
Wednesday
after
the
court
cited
a
backlog
of
cases.
Prosecutors
said
Mzilikazi
left
for
his
farm
at
midday,
returning
the
next
day
to
discover
his
bedroom
door
unlocked
and
his
safe
gone.
Inside
had
been
US$80,400,
R4,000,
300
Yuan,
200
Dirhams,
100
Rupees,
£30,
ammunition
and
passports.
Police
later
found
the
safe
dumped
in
the
boot
of
Mzilikazi’s
son’s
car,
recovering
passports
and
bullets.
Investigators
tracked
Matemarunda,
who
allegedly
stashed
part
of
the
loot
in
her
wardrobe.
She
reportedly
surrendered
US$12,391,
R1,360,
£10,
50
Rupees,
5
Dirhams
and
100
Yuan
before
implicating
Mudimu.
Mudimu
was
arrested
in
South
Africa,
where
he
had
allegedly
sneaked
in
illegally.
He
in
turn
accused
Matemarunda
and
Mzilikazi’s
relatives
near
the
border
of
aiding
the
heist.
Both
remain
in
custody
pending
their
bail
ruling
on
Wednesday.