A VICTORIA Falls chef who came up with a fake robbery story to conceal the loss of US$2 200 in stokvel money through reckless betting has been remanded in custody and will return to court for sentencing this Wednesday, following the completion of trial.
Elias Ncube (48) of Mkhosana suburb appeared before the Victoria Falls Magistrates Court last week, where he pleaded guilty to charges of contravening Section 180(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, which criminalises the act of deliberately supplying false information to a public official.
The court, presided over by magistrate Ms Linda Dzvene, heard that Ncube had been entrusted with the substantial sum, which belonged to a local stokvel savings group, a communal pooling system known locally as ‘‘mukando’’ or ‘‘ukutshayelana’’.
Instead of safeguarding the funds, Ncube admitted to losing the entire amount at a betting shop on or around December 18, 2025.
In a state of panic, and facing the prospect of explaining the loss to the group, Ncube proceeded to Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Victoria Falls on the morning of December 18 and reported that he had been robbed of the cash.
A docket was opened and the case was referred to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for investigation.
Prosecutor, Ms Daphney Ntini of the National Prosecuting Authority, outlined how detectives swiftly uncovered the deception.
“Upon attending the alleged crime scene and conducting interviews, the accused’s wife, Angela Chuma, revealed the truth — that the money had been lost to betting, not to any criminal act,” Ms Ntini said.
The crucial disclosure led to Ncube’s immediate arrest for providing false information to law enforcement agents, a serious offence that undermines police resources and public safety efforts. During proceedings, Ncube expressed profound remorse for his actions.
He told the court that the immense pressure and shame of losing the collectively owned funds had driven him to fabricate the robbery report in a moment of poor judgment.
The State presented its full evidence during a trial held on Friday, establishing the facts of the case beyond the guilty plea.
Magistrate Dzvene has since remanded Ncube in custody, noting the gravity of the offence and the need for a pre-sentencing report to consider all aggravating and mitigating circumstances.
The case highlights the dangers of gambling with entrusted funds and the legal consequences of attempting to deceive law enforcement. — Chronicle
