admin
Danisa Masuku
WHILE a woman was taking a bath at her home, two armed robbers rifled through the rooms and stumbled on US$45000, which they took before they fled in their getaway vehicle.
Perseverance Mangeya (25) and Fortune Zhou (42) appeared on Tuesday before Esigodini resident magistrate, Jeconia Prince Ncube, facing an armed robbery charge.
They were not asked to plead and they only spoke to confirm their names and surnames and the charge they were facing. They were remanded in custody until 22 October for the commencement of trial at Gwanda Regional Court.
The court heard that while Precious Mangeya of Esigodini in Matabeleland South province was bathing, her child opened the gate using a remote as visitors were leaving for their homes.
When the visitors stepped out of the gate, before the remote-controlled gate closed, Zhou and his partner in crime quickly entered the yard.
They headed to a spare bedroom where they found a family member sitting on the bed and fired a warning shot in the air threatening to gun down anyone who would scream.
They allegedly demanded money and the family member told them that he did not have any. Zhou and Mangeya force-marched the family member to the main bedroom where they went through the room and stumbled on US$45000 in a drawer and took it.
They wanted more. They forced the owner of the house out of the bathroom and grabbed her by the throat while demanding more money. However, she insisted that there was no money left and after that, they fled in their getaway vehicle. The incident was reported to the police, leading to the arrest of the pair.
derick.khumalo