Online Reporter
Nyore Madzianike
Court Reporter
FOUR suspected armed robbers, who were facing allegations of robbing a Harare man of US$59 000 after posing as police officers enforcing lockdown regulations in the Harare central business district (CBD) in 2020, have been acquitted.
Nyaradzai Wisdom Mazviwanza, Simba Kanyepi, Hemish Chagadama and Shingai Mazviwanza were discharged at the close of the State’s case after the court upheld their application for discharge.
Harare magistrate Mrs Sandra Mupindu also noted that the State’s witnesses, including the alleged complainant, Luke Kwezera, had failed to link the quartet to the offence.
“It is my conclusion that the accused do not have a case to answer. They should not even be put to their defence, given that the State has failed to link them to the commission of the robbery under consideration.
“The application for discharge at the close of the State case succeeds in respect of each of the accused persons as even the State failed to adduce evidence linking the fourth accused person to the offence.
“He was not at the scene and nothing was recovered from him. There was no evidence whatsoever to link him to the commission of the offence. So each of the four accused persons is found not guilty and is discharged at the close of the State case,” said Mrs Mupindu.
The court had heard that on April 24 2020, Mr Kwezera decided to go to a car sale in Newlands, Harare, to meet a client who wanted United States dollars.
At around midday Kanyepi, who was in the same car as Mr Kwezera, texted Chagadama and Shingai Mazviwanza and told them that his boss was carrying US$59 000 in his car.
He allegedly disclosed where it was hidden and where they were going. Chagadama and Mazviwanza allegedly raced to the same car sale.
They allegedly told Kanyepi not to continue texting them since they had spotted the two and were following them.
After the intended money transaction had failed, Mr Kwezera passed through city centre on his way home.
Chagadama and Mazviwanza allegedly blocked Mr Kwezera’s car at the intersection of Sam Nujoma Street and Robert Mugabe Road in the city centre.
They then allegedly robbed him.
