Sundaymail Editor
Prosper Dembedza
AN armed robber, Nyasha Rusike (28), has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for his role in an armed robbery that resulted in the theft of gold valued at US$5 614 from a miner.
Harare regional magistrate Mr Musaiona Shotgame convicted him after a full trial.
The State proved that on October 28 last year, the complainant and his friends approached Rusike looking for potential buyers of gold in Harare.
It was alleged that the complainant and his friend drove from Masvingo to Harare to meet Rusike.
Rusike and an accomplice only known as George, who is still at large, met the complainant in Harare’s central business district.
The complainant gave Rusike 35 grammes of gold, and they agreed on a selling price of US$320 per gramme.
Rusike told the complainant that his gold buyer only does transactions of gold weighing more than 100 grammes.
The complainant and his friend returned to Masvingo to get more gold. On November 4 the same year, they returned to Harare with an additional 63 grammes of gold, which they intended to give to Rusike to finalise their transaction.
They met Rusike in town and notified him that they were there to conclude their agreement.
Rusike’s colleague, George, indicated that it was late, and they could only finalise the deal the following morning.
The court heard that Rusike, the complainant, and his friend proceeded to Helensville shops where George had instructed them to meet his driver and younger brother.
They met the driver, who was operating an unregistered white Toyota Hiace.
He demanded to see the gold first, but Rusike insisted that they go to a secluded place, where the driver parked the vehicle.
The complainant handed over 63 grammes of gold to Rusike, who passed it on to the driver.
While the driver was still vetting the gold, two men approached the vehicle from the front and three from the back and entered the car.
One of them pulled out a gun and pointed it towards the complainant and his friend, demanding that they surrender their valuables.
One of the gangsters searched the complainant and took a Samsung Galaxy phone.
The accused drove away from the scene, abandoning the complainants. The accused and his accomplices then drove off.
The complainant was prejudiced of US$5 614 and nothing was recovered.
Online Reporter