Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
Four men who preyed on motorists along Zimbabwe’s highways while posing as genuine passengers have been sentenced to a combined 124 years in prison.
The quartet — Peter Mabasa Tsaramunda (32), Ernest Mashingaidze (28), Albert Kagwa (26) and Willard Fulumula (28), all of Whitecliff in Zvimba District — were convicted for orchestrating a violent robbery in which they ambushed unsuspecting travellers.
They will each serve 31 years in prison.
In a statement, Criminal Investigations Department (CID) spokesperson Detective Inspector Rachel Muteweri said the incident occurred on August 9, 2025 at around 1am.
The complainant, a driver employed by a courier company, was travelling from Bulawayo to Harare when he picked up four men in Kadoma, who pretended to be legitimate passengers.
“While en route, the accused persons pounced on the complainant, his assistant and another passenger. They were then joined by Willard Fulumula, who had been lying in wait by the roadside,” said Det Insp Muteweri.
The gang took control of the vehicle and drove to a secluded area where they robbed the three victims.
“They transferred the stolen property into their getaway vehicle, a Toyota Harrier, before driving off and leaving the victims stranded in the bush,” she said.
Police investigations led to the arrest of Tsaramunda, who implicated his accomplices — Mashingaidze, Kagwa and Fulumula.
Subsequent follow-up operations resulted in the arrest of the remaining suspects, as well as the recovery of stolen property and the getaway vehicle.
Recovered items included mobile phones, a laptop and tablet devices.
Police have since urged motorists to exercise caution and avoid offering lifts to strangers, warning that such practices expose them to criminal attacks.
