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Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
A 26-year-old robber will spend 21 years in prison while his four accomplices will serve 15 years each behind bars after a Harare magistrate convicted them on two counts of robbery, two of attempted murder and theft of a motor vehicle. The gang was in the habit of waylaying motorists whose cars would have developed mechanical faults or run out of fuel. They had the audacity to steal a bible from one of their victims.
However, one of the mobile phones they had stolen gave them away after the police tracked it.
Regional magistrate Mr Hoseah Mujaya sentenced Tichaona Takwana (25), Isaiah Chikato (24), Stanford Chumbu (26), Patrick Matukanzvimbo (26) and Forget Chinzawira (26) to 19 years in prison.
He, however, set aside four years for each term on condition of good behaviour but Matukanzvimbo, who has a previous conviction, was not so lucky when Mr Mujaya brought into effect two years which were previously set aside on his previous conviction, leaving him with 21 effective years to serve.
Prosecutor Mr Ephraim Zinyandu told the court that on June 15 at around 10pm Ruth Makuwani and her husband Nicholas were driving when their car developed a fault near Koala Park along Chitungwiza Road.
The gang, armed with stones and knives, approached them and smashed one of the windows before demanding valuables.
They stole cash, mobile phones, clothes, a bible and wedding rings all valued at US$1 500 and disappeared from the scene.
After the robbery, the gang hid in the bush and waited for another person to pounce on.
Tapera Gatsi was coming from Headlands going to Harare when his vehicle ran out of fuel near the area where the gang was hiding.
He phoned his brother Simbarashe, who came to his rescue. Simbarashe brought fuel and they refuelled the vehicle.
Tapera went back into his vehicle and went away while Simbarashe walked back to his vehicle and the gang was observing everything.
When he was about to open the door, the gang suddenly appeared from the bush and attacked him from behind.
They smashed the window and Simbarashe managed to escape but the gang gave chase and apprehended him.
They assaulted him all over his body with an unknown object before tying his hand and legs using his shoe-laces.
They took away his mobile phone, cash, clothes and a wedding ring which they put into his car before speeding off.
Simbarashe was found the following day lying unconscious by a passerby, who rushed him to hospital where he was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit.
His vehicle was recovered two days later in Epworth and the gang had placed the bible they had stolen from Ruth in that car.
Online Reporter