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Sharon Buwerimwe, Chronicle Reporter
A WOMAN and a man who were part of a seven-member gang that allegedly robbed a miner of her compressor worth RTGS$ 3 070 at gun point, have been arraigned.
Sibongile Moyo (40) and Fortune Tshuma (36), with their accomplices who are still at large, allegedly robbed Ms Ester Dube (36) at a mine in Inyathi.
Tshuma and Moyo pleaded not guilty to a charge of armed robbery before Bulawayo magistrate Mrs Sibongile Msipa-Marondedze.
They were remanded in custody to June 18 for trial.
Prosecuting, Ms Concilia Ncube said the gang committed the offence on May 26 at around 11PM.
“Ms Dube was sleeping at Top Soya Mine in Inyathi when the gang went to rob her,” she said.
Ms Ncube said Tshuma and Moyo were Ms Dube’s friends and she never suspected them to be part of the armed robbery gang.
She said the gang demanded the compressor while pointing a gun at her but Ms Dube refused to hand it over. The complainant told the gang that she had to get approval from one Mr Chauke since he was the one who bought it for her.
“She tried to tell them not to take the compressor without permission from Mr Chauke. She also tried to phone Mr Chauke but Tshuma grabbed her cell phone and went away with it,” Ms Ncube said.
She said the other five who were inside the car came out holding pistols and threatened to kill her if she resisted.
Fearing for her life, Ms Dube surrendered the compressor to the gang and went to report the matter to the police.
The compressor and the cell phone were not recovered.
—@sharonbuwe
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter