Man severely attacked on the head with logs

Danisa Masuku

AN ARMED robber who teamed up with five accomplices and allegedly attacked a miner before robbing him of US$122 appeared before a Bulawayo regional magistrate.

Junior Elias Muhangu (18) of Hope Fountain on the outskirts of Bulawayo (18) appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Joseph Mabeza facing an armed robbery charge.

He was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to 9 February. He was told it was his legal right to secure the services of a lawyer at his own cost or to be a self-actor. He was also advised that he could apply for bail at the Bulawayo High Court.

The court heard that on 26 December last year, Muhangu and his five accomplices who are yet to be arrested teamed up and went to a miner David Chiramba (35) who lives in the same neighbourhood and they found him asleep at his home.

They were armed with an axe, logs and a torch. It is said they knocked on his bedroom door and he opened it before they quickly entered and flashed the torch at him.

It is alleged that one of the robbers severely attacked him with a log on the head and all over the body. He fell to the floor and they also attacked him with the back of an axe while demanding money, the court learnt.

He gave them US$122. But they were not convinced as they attacked him demanding more money but he insisted that he had only that amount at his home. Seeing that he was unyielding they left.

Chiramba later recovered enough to stagger to a police station where he reported the incident leading to the arrest of Muhangu.