A man accused of taking part in the multimillion-dollar robbery at Ecobank’s Bulawayo branch has been removed from remand after spending 10 months in custody without a trial date being set.
Bhekani Mlilo, who was extradited from Botswana last year, was released from remand on Friday after Bulawayo regional magistrate Lungile Ncube rejected the State’s application to keep him in custody until 28 September.
Mlilo is facing an armed-robbery charge. Prosecutor Rumbi Gwishiri told the court that the State would proceed by summons once the remaining suspects, who are still awaiting extradition, have been brought before the Zimbabwean courts.
In refusing the further remand application, Ncube said Mlilo could not be held indefinitely because of delays in securing the extradition of the other accused persons.
“Accused has been in remand prison for 10 months with no trial date being allocated,” the magistrate said. “The accused cannot continue being on remand for the failed extradition of the other suspects.”
Ncube ruled that, once the outstanding suspects had been extradited, the State could issue summonses for the commencement of the trial.
Mlilo was represented by Tawanda Tavengwa of Mvundla Tavengwa Solicitors.
The State alleges that on 3 October 2025, at about 3.30pm, Mlilo acted together with several accomplices to rob Ecobank’s Bulawayo operations. The alleged gang included brothers Elijah and Abraham Vumbunu, Simon Xola Ngcobo, Menzeli Mpofu, Khalid Ntimen and other suspects who remain at large.
Gwishiri said the Vumbunu brothers had since been arrested in South Africa and were awaiting extradition to Zimbabwe.
According to the prosecution, the suspects used a white Ford Ranger registered in South Africa in the name of Nomsa Aneline Zingela. The vehicle allegedly arrived in Zimbabwe with its South African number plates replaced by Zimbabwean plates before the group travelled to Ecobank’s branch at the corner of 9th Avenue and Fife Street.
The suspects were allegedly armed when they intercepted a Safeguard cash-in-transit vehicle outside the bank. Prosecutors claim that they seized control of the security guards, held them hostage and threatened to shoot them if they resisted.
The gang allegedly took four metal cash boxes and three firearms belonging to the Safeguard guards. Three of the boxes, reportedly collected from the 9th Avenue and Fife Street branch, contained US$3,983,500, while another box from Ecobank’s Bradfield branch allegedly contained US$465,500.
The suspects are accused of loading the cash boxes into the Ford Ranger before fleeing. The total value allegedly stolen from the two Ecobank branches exceeded US$4.4 million.
Mlilo is also facing a separate criminal case in connection with an alleged break-in at a Nedbank branch in Bulawayo. In that matter, he is accused of masterminding the theft of nearly US$300,000, more than R2.4 million and five gold coins.
The Nedbank trial has already commenced, with two State witnesses giving evidence. However, proceedings have been delayed after a key witness was not served with a subpoena to appear in court.
Mlilo’s removal from remand does not amount to an acquittal. The State may still pursue the Ecobank case through summons once the other accused persons have been extradited and brought before the courts.