Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
SEVEN criminals, including two cop killers, have this year received various jail terms ranging between 15 years and life sentences for separate crimes committed countrywide.
The two cop killers, Sanele Simbarashe Makono (23) and Sterio Joao Mahachi (55) were sentenced to life in prison at Mutare High Court for the murder of police officer, Travor Mundida in Mutare.
The late Mundida, a member of the Zimbabwe Republic Police Support Unit, was off-duty when he was ambushed and stabbed six times by Makono and Mahachi along the railway line in Mutare in September 2024.
The duo fled to Mozambique, where they sold Mundinda’s cellphone.
The duo’s luck ran out on September 14, 2024, when detectives from CID Mutare, with the help of network service providers, traced the stolen cellphone, leading to the arrest of Sanele Simbarashe Makono, who also implicated his accomplices, Mahachi and Timothy Charles (still at large).
Further investigations unearthed two more murder cases linked to the accused persons.
Criminal Investigations Department (CID) spokesperson Detective Inspector Rachel Muteweri said follow-ups were made, leading to the arrest of Mahachi on May 13, 2025.
This was after detectives received information that Mahachi was already serving a five-year jail term for another robbery case.
On January 20, 2026, the duo appeared before Mutare High Court Judge Isaac Muzenda and the State was represented by Chief Prosecutor Mr Malvin Musarurwa. They were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment and they are yet to be tried on the two other murder charges.
In a related case, Thabani Gambiza, aged 19 years of Huchu village, Chief Mataruse, Mataruse, Mberengwa was recently convicted and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for murder.
Circumstance were that on August 19, 2025, at around 1 am, Gambiza, together with his accomplice Fungai Kuboya (still at large), assaulted the victim during a beer drink. The victim later succumbed to injuries sustained.
Follow-ups were made, leading to the arrest of Gambiza. On January 19, 2026, he appeared before Judge Munamato Mutevedzi at Gweru High Court Circuit, and Prosecutor Michael Mhene represented the State.
Four more criminals, Charles Munyaradzi Dhokotera (42), Donald Travolta Matunhu (28), Mayor Sibanda (34), and Bothwell Kamwendo (40) were also convicted and sentenced to 82 years in prison each for nine counts of armed robbery, while their other accomplice, Colonel Madzima (24) was found not guilty and acquitted.
Their conviction follows an armed robbery that occurred in April 2025 at Nyamuzara Business Centre, Murewa.
Armed with rifles, a pistol and batons, the quartet invaded a Cocktail Bar, threatened patrons and indiscriminately assaulted them, demanding cash and other valuables.
They went on to ransack the Bar before proceeding to the shop owner’s residence, where they stole various goods and got away in their getaway car.
The community mobilised and pursued the robbers. They spotted their getaway car, a Toyota Aqua, registration number AGC 2677 and nabbed them.
A total of three firearms, namely a 38 special revolver, a double-barreled shot gun loaded with 5 x 12 bore live rounds, short gun loaded with 5 x 12 bore live rounds, two dummy pistols, a pair of hand cuffs, two button sticks and a sjambok, were recovered among other items, hidden in a bush near Shavanhowe Bridge in Murewa.
They appeared before Magistrate Loyce Mukunyadzi at Murehwa Regional Magistrate’s Court where they were subsequently convicted and sentenced to a total of 82 years imprisonment each and a total of 10 years suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour, one-year suspended on condition of restitution of US$407 each,
They will serve an effective 44 years’ imprisonment each.
Det Insp Mutewerei applaud members of the public for their sterling efforts in the fight against crime.
