Chief Gampu’s unregistered official vehicle was stolen at a fuel service station in Bulawayo’s Nketa 6 suburb on Wednesday night.
When contacted by The Chronicle, Chief Gampu confirmed the theft. The traditional leader’s jurisdiction covers parts of Tsholotsho in Matabeleland North and extends to Matabeleland South. The vehicle, an Isuzu KB Silver Grey Double Cab worth $50 000 was with Chief Gampu’s son when it was stolen. Chief Gampu received his car this year from Government .
Chief Gampu’s 25-year old son is alleged to have left the car engine running, with keys in the ignition as he entered a shop soon after refuelling the car at around 11PM. Said Chief Gampu:
I received information at about 5PM that there was fuel at Nketa 6 Garage so I decided to go and refuel as I had fuel coupons I brought from the just ended Chief’s Conference held in Kadoma. I took my two sons aged 25 and nine years with me. He said there was no electricity at the time in Gwabalanda suburb where he lives so he took along a gas cylinder so that he could refill it in Nkulumane suburb. We bought the gas before proceeding to the fuel station. I was shocked, it didn’t make sense to me because I had left the car at the service station waiting to refuel. I then phoned my son trying to understand what really happened. He told me that he was on his way back home aboard a pirate taxi as the car had been stolen. He told me that after refuelling the car he parked at the service station and left the engine running as he went into a shop to buy something to eat. He said when he returned a few minutes later he found the car gone.
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