Beverly Bizeki
A 19-year-old Harare man who was facing three counts of robbery in Mashava was slapped with 12 years imprisonment and had his Toyota Wish motor vehicle forfeited to the state by Masvingo Regional Magistrate Bishard Chineka on January 12, 2024.
Chineka said the robbers deserved a hefty punishment as Mashava was fast becoming a target for robbers who mostly come from Harare with this being the second group of people that came from the capital to rob Mashava.
Chineka also said the group’s action of stealing the first complainant’s star pistol which they used to rob the other two people shows a lot of pre-planning done before the robbery.
He further applauded the police for being on high alert as they took immediate action after they saw a parked vehicle on the roadside and said the accused person also attracted such a sentence as his age shows that he could be in school but was rather choosing the soft life which he does not want to work for.
It is a state’s case that on December 9, 2023, Danysile Dhorobeni Maunzo together with his accomplices Lovemore Maunzo and others only identified as Keda, Rasta, Lucky, and Senior who are yet to be arrested went to Mashava where they parked their vehicle at Lenox turn off to rob at Inotrade Filling Station.
The motor vehicle was loaded with gadgets for criminal use which included two deformed iron bars, one electric grinder, two cutting discs, three screwdrivers and a 14-pound hammer.
At around 0000hours police officers who were on patrol in Mashava spotted the motor vehicle which was unattended and managed to immobilize the vehicle by removing the battery and recorded the details of the vehicle.
At around 0400 hours the group approached Inotrade Filling Station Balmain armed with wooden logs and disarmed 27-year-old Joseph Chikava, a security guard who was seated outside the office, after which theyhandcuffed him with his own pair of handcuffs.
Using Chikava’s pistol, Danysile and the rest of the group force-marched him to the office where Chiedza Chokera a pump attendant was sitting.
The group tied the pump attendant’s hands and legs with tree bark strings demanding cash and took away US$200 from her.
After that, the group proceeded to Grannies shop where they force-marched Theresa Munyani to the office before tying her hands with bark strings, walking away with US$450 which was in the cash box, and fled to their vehicle.
The matter was immediately reported to police who spotted Danysile and his accomplices attending to their motor vehicle which was now immobile.
Upon seeing the police approaching them the group sensed they could be under arrest and fled the scene leaving their motor vehicle behind leading to the arrest of Danysile during the chase with the police.
The total value stolen is US$650 and nothing has been recovered.
