25 years jail each for 3 Kwekwe robbers

A Kwekwe magistrate has convicted three notorious criminals of eight counts of armed robbery and slapped them with a 25-year jail sentence each.

Marvelous Maxiwen (36), John Nyirenda (34), and Munashe Ruvhevhe (24), committed all the eight offences in Zhombe where they launched a night of terror targeting gold dealers, robbing them of cash and other valuables.

They were all convicted after a full trial when they appeared before Kwekwe Magistrate Mrs Samukelisiwe Gumbo facing eight counts of armed robbery, unlawful detention, and aggravated unlawful entry.

The trio was convicted after overwhelming evidence before being slapped with different sentences for each crime, adding up to 25 years each.

Nyirenda and Maxiwen who are already serving a 10-year sentence each for similar offences, will serve an effective 25-year term while Ruvhevhe will serve a total of 21 years after the magistrate suspended four years on condition of good behaviour.

Prosecutor, Ms Michelle Daraja, told the court that all the offences were committed at night on 12 August 2022.

“Around 1:30am, the accused persons went to Japhet Ndlovu’s house under Chief Ntabeni in Zhombe after they got wind that he was a gold buyer.

“Upon arrival they broke the door using an unknown weapon and proceeded into the bedroom. They assaulted Ndlovu and his wife Sandra Mhandu with machetes, and iron bars all over the body while demanding cash and were given US$300 and three mobile phones,” the court heard.

They then forced Ndlovu into the boot of his vehicle, a Mazda 323 Familia, and drove away. That same night they also robbed Sandra Moyo of US$60 after breaking into her house and later loaded her into the boot of the same vehicle.

“The accused persons then drove the motor vehicle with the two complainants in the boot along the Gokwe-Kwekwe Road. Upon approaching Joel Business Centre, the vehicle ran out of fuel and they abandoned it leaving the two complainants in the boot,” said Ms Daraja. The two were only rescued after about four hours.