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Thandeka Moyo Court Reporter—
A NOTORIOUS criminal who terrorised Bulawayo residents in a series of armed robberies and carjackings with four of his siblings, has been summoned back to court from prison where he is serving a 24-year jail term. Isaac Muunganirwa appeared in court yesterday facing three counts of attempted murder.
Muunganirwa, who at one time escaped from police custody, was part of a five-member gang that robbed people at gunpoint before their arrest in 2001. He was convicted and sentenced to an effective 24 years in prison but two of his brothers were later acquitted.
His other brother Christopher was shot dead in Botswana during a robbery in July 2006.
When Muunganirwa was arrested, he had been on the run for four years after his luck ran out while attending the funeral of a colleague.
The armed robber has been languishing in jail since July 2006, imprisoned for his part in the robbery of MBCA Bank in Belmont in Bulawayo.
Yesterday, he was back in court after for firing four shots at four policemen who had chased him for more than 15 kilometres for the bank robbery.
Muunganirwa was recently transferred from Chikurubi Maximum Security Complex in Harare to Bulawayo’s Khami Prison.
He will appear before regional magistrate Mark Dzira on May 12 for commencement of his trial.
The State led by Tinashe Dzipe alleges that on August 25, 2002, police details spotted Muunganirwa at Nxele area near the Plumtree Border Post where he was hiding.
The police details asked to search him, but he dropped the satchel he was carrying and fled.
As three policemen were chasing him, he fell down and drew a pistol before firing at them. The police managed to ward off the attack by ducking down to the ground and fired at him. Muunganirwa, however, managed to escape and disappeared into the bush.
He was later arrested following a dramatic shootout with six members of the Support Unit after running out of ammunition.
The pistol used in the crime was not recovered.
In 2006, he was sentenced to 36 years in prison with 12 years suspended on condition of good behaviour.
Bongani Ndlovu