Gang arrested for car hijacking

Prince Golide Maposa

Two men appeared in court last week facing two counts of robbery and attempted murder after allegedly robbing an unsuspecting motorist who had offered them a lift.

Trymore Guta (27) and Abel Manase (28) were denied bail by Harare magistrate Mrs Victoria Mashamba, who remanded them in custody to this week.

It is the State’s case that on January 30 the duo and an accomplice who is still at large were at Lizzy Restaurant in Avondale pretended to be stranded travellers looking for transport.

Prosecutor Idah Maromo told the court that the alleged robbers were offered a lift by complainant Mcanamara Chinyani who was driving a Toyota Sienta.

“Abel Manase suddenly tried to grab the driver of the car from behind the neck, but the 32 year old driver had noticed Manase’s actions through the rear view mirror, he then swerved the vehicle and Manase missed him.

“Manase then punched the driver with a clenched fist on the left jaw, took out an Okapi knife and threatened to kill him.”

Manase then pushed Chinyani out of the vehicle before attempting to take control of the steering wheel, but the driver removed the keys from the ignition port, the court further heard.

Upon being pushed out of the vehicle, Chinyani shouted for help and security guards at nearby shop came to his rescue.

“On noticing this, Guta, Manase and their accomplice disembarked from the vehicle and took to their heels,” claimed the prosecutor.

“Chinyani got into his vehicle and noticed that the suspects had left a MobiCell cellphone on one of the seats.

“On checking the cell phone Chinyani identified the accused through the pictures saved in the photo gallery.”

Using pictures from the phone, detectives tracked the robbers to Overspill shopping centre in Epworth before effecting arrests. The court heard that, Guta and Manase used the same modus operandi on Troy Kabvumbi (37) whom they stabbed 5 times, tied and dumped him at the Zimphos industrial area, before getting away with his vehicle.

Kabvumbi managed to untie himself and was assisted by a commuter omnibus crew which took him to ZRP Epworth, where a report was made.

According to state papers, the stolen motor vehicle was later recovered dumped after a fly-over along Seke road in Harare.