Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
The Beitbridge Provincial Magistrate Court has sentenced two men to an effective five years imprisonment each for their involvement in a gang that has been robbing motorists near the Mazunga area, where part of the Beitbridge to Bulawayo road is under construction.
The gang targeted motorists armed with knives and iron bars along a detour, pouncing on victims as they navigated the slow-moving traffic.
Bornman Zuweni (37) of Tshitaudze suburb and David Ratsauka (31) of Dulivhadzimu suburb, both in Beitbridge town, were arrested in August after robbing a truck driver in July along the same road while armed with Okapi knives. Zuweni is a taxi driver based in the border town.
The two, jointly charged, were convicted on one count of robbery when they appeared before Beitbridge resident magistrate Mr. Takudzwa Gwazemba on Tuesday.
Beitbridge area prosecutor Mr. Ronald Mugwagwa told the court that on July 4 this year, the complainant, a driver employed at Delta Beverages in Bulawayo, was travelling from Bulawayo to Beitbridge to offload products at the local depot.
He said, “Around 3 a.m., as the man was driving slowly along the detour where the road is under construction, the two men jumped onto the moving truck.”
During the incident, Ratsauka opened the passenger’s door and entered while armed with an Okapi knife. Meanwhile, Zuweni remained outside, clinging onto the moving truck.
The court further heard that Ratsauka threatened to stab the complainant with the Okapi knife and subdued him. Afterward, he searched the man and took his wallet containing a driver’s licence, defensive driver’s licence, a Samsung cell phone, cash amounting to $57.00, and a fleece before disembarking from the slowly moving truck.
Zuweni was on standby, threatening to stab the truck driver should he resist. He collected the stolen property, all worth approximately USD 200.00, from his accomplice for safekeeping and transportation.
After robbing the man, the two accused drove off to an unknown destination in Zuweni’s purple Honda Fit (registration AFM 5336), which he uses as a taxi.
The complainant managed to continue driving and reported the incident at the main police station in Beitbridge town.
The State said police later obtained a warrant of search against Econet Wireless at the local magistrate’s court. Detectives tracked the stolen phone worth USD 120.00 to a woman who had bought it from the accused persons, who then led police to Zuweni.
Police officers found an Okapi knife on Zuweni, who during interviews admitted to having sold the cell phone for USD 30.00 to the woman. He also implicated Ratsauka, who was arrested and found with another Okapi knife in his pocket.
