Armed robbers handcuff, assault and rob police officer

Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Midlands Correspondent
THREE armed robbers last week attacked a police officer before they handcuffed him and robbed him of his cellphone and money in Mvuma in the Midlands province.

The trio, who have since been arrested and convicted have also been linked to a spate of robberies in Chivhu and Mvuma.

Calvin Ndlovu (18), Justice Mukandla (18) of Chemumvuri Village under Chief Njelele in Gokwe and Simbarashe Mangwanda (20) of Matoto Villager under Chief Serima in Gutu were on Thursday arraigned before Mvuma magistrate Mr Tavengwa Chibanda facing robbery and assault.

The three were convicted on their own plea and were each sentenced to four years behind bars. Mr Chibanda however, suspended one year each on condition of good behaviour. For the State, Mr Michael Kazomba told the court that on Tuesday last week the trio attacked a police officer in Mvuma before robbing him of money and cellphone after handcuffing him.

Mr Kazomba said on the said date, the complainant, Rexon Samu (32) of ZRP Mvuma who was on his way home after knocking off at Chicken Slice Mvuma Police base met the three who were armed with axes at about 3.30am in a bushy area near Mvuma District Administrator’s compound.

The court heard that the three robbers without saying anything attacked the policeman with a wooden log on the head and started assaulting him with booted feet indiscriminately all over the body until he fell down.

Mr Kazomba said when the policeman fell to the ground, the three robbers searched him and took handcuffs, a cellphone, satchel and $4 before handcuffing him from behind.

The court heard that the three robbers demanded the policeman’s EcoCash pin to access his mobile account but he refused and they started assaulting him until he disclosed it. They then transferred $32 to their EcoCash account. Mr Kazomba said when they left, the policeman managed to report the case and the three robbers were later arrested in Lalapanzi after they were tracked using their mobile phones. The trio faces two more counts of robbery in Mvuma and have confessed to terrorising residents in Chivhu.