A Zimbabwean national who planned to sneak into Botswana, dig for gold and then return home the same day had his hopes of a quick pay-day ruined by patrolling police.
Having spent the day toiling in the abandoned gold mines near Matsiloje, Moses Ncube had already filled three 12.5kg bags with rocks when the cops combing the area caught him digging for more.
Covered in dust and sweat, the 40-year-old admitted he had entered the country earlier that day, 3 January.
The Gokwe native was arrested and brought before Francistown Magistrates Court the following day, where he was charged with unlawful possession of unwrought precious metals suspected to be gold as well as entering the country illegally.
The giant Zimbabwean pleaded guilty to border jumping while plea for the first count was reserved as the samples were taken to the forensic laboratories for analysis.
Deemed a flight risk, Ncube was remanded in custody until 22 January, when he returns to court.
Speaking to The Voice outside court, a self-confessed Zama Zama, who prides himself on his ability to evade the boys in blue, advised the suspect to plead guilty.
“He must just confess, then he’s likely to get a fine. He pays it and is free to carry on. Three bags is nothing because when he gets home, he has to filter the soil to get the gold. I always fill up 20 bags, but nowadays there is no gold. We made money from that gold!” bragged the bandit.
Insisting locals were snoozing on a goldmine, he added, “Batswana are busy sleeping on it while we take it from their noses. Ah, I tend to forget, these people are too lazy.”
