Chronicle Editor
Michael Magoronga, Midlands Correspondent
POLICE in Kwekwe have arrested six people believed to be part of a large group of armed robbers that have been terrorising residents.
The arrests have cleared a number of robbery cases committed in and around Kwekwe in recent months.
Admire Jephias (31), Calvin Machado (20), Naison Shunje (30), Edmore Shoshera (33), Munashe Chigapa (19) and Nyasha Nyahuma (25), all from Mbizo 15 were arrested following a tip off.
They are believed to be part of a group which also includes Edmore Mapande, Patrick Chigapa, Godwin Gwarazimba and Zivanai Chigapa who are still at large.
The six have since been arraigned before Kwekwe magistrate Ms Mildred Matuvi facing two counts of robbery.
Magistrate Matuvi denied them bail saying some of them have previous convictions while others have been out on bail facing murder charges.
For the State, Miss Nyasha Hloka said between June 12 and July 3 this year, the accused persons robbed residents in Mbizo suburb of cash and valuables while armed with machetes, sjamboks, catapults and logs.
On the first count, committed on June 12 at around 10PM at Black Tuck-shop, the accused persons approached a man whose name was not given, who was driving a white Honda Fit.
“The accused persons manhandled the complainant and covered his face with a cloth before removing him from the driver’s seat and placed him on the back seat.
One of them sped off,” the court heard.
The gang then forcibly took a mobile phone, US$30 cash, a 50kg bag of chicken feed, and a blue memory stick before they dumped the driver in a bush and went away with the vehicle.
The vehicle was later recovered in Rutendo suburb.
On July 3 around midnight, the gang allegedly struck an imbiber who was about to leave a nightclub with an empty bottle and forcibly took his mobile phone and cash.
The following day, acting on a tip-off, police arrested Machando, Shunje and Chipaga who were in a car parked at Mbizo 4 Shopping Centre and recovered machetes, sjamboks, catapults and logs.
The three implicated Jephias, Shoshera and Nyahuma who were picked up by the police.
They also implicated the other five who are still at large.
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