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Midlands Correspondent
Three notorious Gweru armed robbers, arrested last week, are facing 19 counts including unlawful entry and kidnapping.
Tapiwa Chimuti (29), Anyway Madala (27) and Simbarashe Machiritsa (40), all of Ascot Infill high-density suburb in Gweru, have since appeared before Gweru magistrate Judith Taruvinga.
The trio was not asked to plead. They were further detained in police custody to allow police to investigate other suspected crimes they committed outside Gweru. Chimuti, Madala and Machiridza allegedly murdered two security guards in Kadoma and Zvishavane.
Prosecutor Mr Ernest Muzembi alleged that during the period extending from January to March this year, the trio committed robberies in Gweru, Shurugwi and Kadoma. They got away with $25 000 and several cars.
Mr Muzembi said the three robbers, who have been terrorising miners and business people in Gweru and Shurugwi in the past four weeks, were also found in possession of five rifles and a pistol, $6 000 cash and a VW Golf vehicle. The property was recovered at lodgings belonging to two of the armed robbers’ girlfriends in Ascot Infill suburb in Gweru where they were arrested on Thursday following a tip-off.
In one of the counts on April 7 at around 7:30pm, Chimuti, Madala and Machiritsa broke down a kitchen door and entered a house in Athlone suburb where they stole electrical gadgets and cash. Using the same modus operandi the gang broke into three other houses in Gweru and a mine in Shurugwi and got away with a VW Golf vehicle and more than $25 000 cash.
There was drama in Ascot Infill high- density suburb as police detectives raided two lodgings where Chimuti and Madala were staying. The detectives recovered household property which included beds, television sets, electrical gadgets and blankets. At one house belonging to Ms Inet Kaisa (24) police are said to have also recovered a pistol.
Ms Kaisa said she has been staying with Chimuti for the past seven days as husband and wife. At the other house, Ms Jenita Mahachi (25) said she stayed with Madala for the past month. One of the complainants, Mr Symptoms Siwawa (40) of Windsor Park in Gweru — a chrome miner and transporter – thanked the police for arresting the robbers.
“They pounced at my place on Tuesday around 8.00pm, they pointed guns at my family members, and my children are still traumatised. They went away with $495 cash and they wanted me to drive them to Kwekwe but my vehicle ran out of petrol.
“I escaped as they went to rob another house and reported the matter to the police. They were targeting business people and miners,” he said.
Online Reporter