Nhlalwenhle Ncube
TWO thigh vendors teamed up with two men to rob a truck driver along the Masvingo-Beitbridge road pretending to be hikers.
Bekezela Sesoma (40), Grace Kamukirimu (36), Ntando Ngwenya (31) and Brighton Tachiona (42) robbed Jonathan Mandelas of his phone.
Mandelas fell for the crewa��s trick when Sesoma, Kamukirimu and Tachiona asked for a lift to Chivi business centre and they robbed him along the way.
Fortunately, the truck driver managed to escape and was helped by another motorist to file a police report leading to the arrest of the quartet.
The court heard that on 26 June at the 110km peg along Masvingo-Beitbridge road, the four accused persons took advantage that the complainant had spent some time with Kamukirimu and they asked him to take them to Chivi business centre.
The complainant refused citing that he was not allowed to carry passengers and that his truck was on satellite tracking.
He decided to give them $5 to board a commuter omnibus, but they forcibly got into the truck and waived to Ngwenya leaving him behind.
After driving for about 500 metres, Kachiona took out a pellet pistol from his wrist and pointed it to the driver threatening to shoot him if he resisted.
The driver stopped the vehicle and attempted to run away, but Kachiona caught up with him and they started wrestling on the ground only to be joined by the two women who covered the complainanta��s face with a cloth.
They took away his Samsung Galaxy A6 Tablet phone before force marching him back into the truck, but he managed to drive off before they got in.
The truck driver met another motorist Tavonga Zizhou and narrated his ordeal. They rushed to report the matter to the police.
The accused persons were later found seated in their parked vehicle registration number MMT 060 GP and upon searching the car police discovered the Samsung tablet phone, 4,5mm pellet pistol, 215 pellets, nine pellets loaded in the magazine and US$5.
They were arrested and convicted on their own plea of guilty to eight months imprisonment of which three months was suspended on condition of good behaviour. . .



