Five suspected hitmen, allegedly hired from South Africa to kidnap and assault a Zimbabwean businessman following a failed US$800,000 gas tank deal, were reportedly lured into a trap after being promised US$10,000.

The accused, identified as Moses Monde (from Johannesburg), Malvin Manzinde, Malvin Tatenda Nyamuranga, Norbert Muponda, and Joshua Mapuranga, all based in Cape Town, were allegedly hired by Obrian Mapurisa. The group appeared before the Harare Magistrates’ Court facing charges of assault and conspiracy to kidnap.

The businessman, Oliver Tendai Chipindu, testified before Harare regional magistrate Stanford Mambanje, revealing that he baited the suspects with a US$10,000 offer after being informed of the plot by an acquaintance, Bernard Bruce Chiweshe. Chipindu said he recorded conversations with the accused that confirmed their intention to kidnap him.

According to Chipindu, the hitmen admitted they had traveled from South Africa with the aim of kidnapping him but failed to locate him. He then promised them US$10,000 and arranged a meeting. “I sent them R15,000 via Bento to cover their bus fare to Zimbabwe,” he told the court. However, Chipindu clarified that it was Bento who initially promised the suspects the US$10,000. “I told Bento I didn’t have the money, but he suggested I trap them to get them arrested since they were already planning to kidnap me,” Chipindu explained.

The suspects reportedly arrived in Zimbabwe on March 20 and stayed at a lodge in Avondale. Chipindu testified that he gathered the courage to visit them at the lodge, where they confirmed their mission. He questioned their loyalty, asking if they had vetted the assignment before carrying it out. To his surprise, they admitted they didn’t care about the details and only followed their employer’s orders.

Chipindu expressed concerns about their reliability, noting that while they offered to bring Mapurisa to him, dead or alive, they seemed motivated only by money. He declined their violent offer, insisting he only wanted his money back.

Prosecutor Ephraim Zinyandu presented two recorded telephone conversations as evidence. However, defense lawyer Moffat Makuvatsine objected, requesting a voice expert to verify the identity of the speakers

Newsday