HARARE – A security guard accused of shooting dead Zimbabwe Passengers Company (Zupco) bus conductor Joyce Kuzhumbwa was formally charged on Thursday before a Harare court.

Campion Marowa, 35, was charged with murder, theft and firearms offences when he appeared before magistrate Dennis Mangosi, who remanded him in custody to September 30.

Marowa was not asked to plead.

The National Prosecuting Authority alleges that on September 13 this year at around 8.45PM, Marowa boarded a Zupco bus on which Kuzhumbwa was a conductor.

The prosecution says Marowa was armed with a 38 Astra Revolver loaded with three rounds of ammunition.

When the bus reached its destination in Dzivarasekwa, Marowa was among the last passengers who were to disembark as 22-year-old Kuzhumbwa was completing her log sheets.

The court heard Marowa pulled the loaded gun from his waist before fatally shooting Kuzhumbwa. He snatched a bag with money and fled from the scene.

Police recovered a cartridge which Marowa allegedly disposed of near Harare Polytechnic. After the shooting, he allegedly proceeded to a house on Rudland Avenue in Belvedere, Harare, where he had earlier been deployed to perform guard duties and hid the gun which was now loaded with two rounds of ammunition in a changing room.

Marowa later advised his supervisor through a text massage where he hid the gun.

Murdered in cold blood … Joyce Kuzhumbwa had completed her last trip when she was shot in a robbery

On the theft charge, Marowa is also accused of stealing 25 litres of diesel from Eagle Liner bus company.

He is also being charged with violations of the Firearms Act after he discharged a firearm to deter an Eagle Liner employee from apprehending him after he stole the diesel.

Marowa is being represented by lawyer Norman Mugiya.