Thupeyo Muleya-Beitbridge Bureau
The Beitbridge Regional Magistrate Court has jailed two men, who terrorised residents in the border town with pistols, a machete and pepper spray during a month-long robbery spree for an effective 28 years each after convicting them on nine counts of robbery.
Tapiwa Trymore Moyo and Philimon Bernard Dambwara were found guilty following a full trial before Regional Magistrate Ms Charity Maphosa.
They will each serve 28 years, effective after the magistrate suspended eight years of their 36 years in prison, each on condition that they make restitution to the complainants of a total of US$1 759.
Moyo, who is currently 39 years old, will be 67 when he completes his effective sentence, while Dambwara, who is aged 34, will be 62.
The State, led by the District Public Prosecutor, Mr Willbrought Muleya, told the court that the pair, armed with two pistols, a machete and pepper spray, targeted service stations, lodges and homes in Beitbridge between April 16and May 20, 2026, threatening to kill their victims if they did not hand over cash, cellphones and other valuables.
The court heard that on April 16 this year at around 8.50 pm, the two struck at Redan Petroleum Service Station and robbed two people of cash and a ZTE cell phone, an HP laptop and a Samsung Galaxy A205.
During the same attack, they also targeted another fuel attendant, but the court did not find them guilty on that count.
Five days later, at around 4 am on April 21, they struck at Mother’s Lodge and stole cash and an iPhone 13 cellphone from the manager after spraying him with pepper spray and locking him in the reception, and also robbed a security guard of a Huawei cellphone after forcing him into the reception area at gunpoint.
On May 20 at around 2.45 am the duo went to Cossy Lodge, where they locked victims in the reception after robbing them.
They were convicted of robbing five people of cash and a Samsung A53 cellphone, an iPhone 13 cellphone, a Huawei Honor 9c cellphone, and a Samsung S22 Ultra cellphone.
The court further heard that the duo was also charged over an alleged raid at ZAOGA Church, Mashavire, on 25 April 25, where a pastor and congregants were allegedly robbed.
Moyo and Dambwara’s reign ended on September 27, when detectives from CID Beitbridge, acting on a tip-off, arrested them while sleeping outside a house in Dulivhadzimu suburb in the border town.
The police recovered a pistol from Moyo and another pistol and a machete from Dambwara. The firearms were sent for ballistic examination, and the two were positively identified by the complainants at an identification parade.
