Nine guards turned robbers in custody

Nyore Madzianike

Senior Court Reporter

NINE security guards employed by Northern Deep Security, allegedly caught red-handed while robbing a truck driver near Maruta Shopping Centre along Seke Road in Harare after robbing a motorist earlier, appeared in court over the weekend.

Tinashe Nyambahuma (25), Tatenda Manongwa (26), Pyrsone Pamheza (26), Jabulani Majoni (32), John Machingauta (26), Farai Mangwanani (21), Lawrence Kwashira (21), Blessing Mabhureni (20) and Professor Majaya (28), appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court charged with armed robbery.

They were not asked to plead to the charges when they appeared before Harare provincial magistrate Mrs Vongai Guwuriro, who remanded them in custody to April 28.

Only the High Court can grant bail for robbery.

Prosecutor Mr Richard Mapanga alleged that on Tuesday last week, the nine approached a motorist whose car had developed a mechanical fault at around 10pm and asked why he was parked by the roadside.

They allegedly warned the motorist that the area was infested with thieves stealing maize cobs from nearby fields and advised him to move his car.

Believing that he was being assisted by genuine security guards, the motorist disembarked from the car to explain why he was parked by the roadside and only to be hit with a stone on his forehead.

The gang, alleged to be the security guards, started assaulting him while searching his car and stealing US$5 000 and other valuables.

On Thursday, two days later, a lorry driver ran out of fuel at about 1am and parked it by the roadside in the same area and called his employer to bring fuel.

A gang, pounced on the motorist accusing him of being one of the people who were stealing maize cobs. Allegations are that some of the guards, who were armed with rifles and catapults, stole US$5 000 from the driver.

It is said the owner of the lorry arrived with fuel and witnessed the nine attacking his driver and drove back to a roadblock at Delport Road and alerted police who reacted swiftly.

The nine were arrested and found in possession of rifles and other weapons allegedly used in the robberies.