Itai Muzondo
GOKWE – A notorious Kwekwe burglar who terrorised business people at gunpoint over the past years was recently slapped with 23 years’ imprisonment after he was convicted on several counts of armed robbery.
The accused is part of a gang linked to a spate of armed robberies in Zhombe, Kwekwe and Silobela where they terrorised businesspeople, getting away with electrical gadgets and groceries.
Tafadzwa Magarisanwa (26) of House Number 1398/17, Mbizo, pleaded not guilty to all the 43 counts when he appeared before Gokwe regional magistrate Solomon Jenya.
Magarisanwa was convicted of 28 counts after nine were withdrawn by the State because witnesses had failed to come to testify. He was acquitted on six other charges after full trial.
On behalf of the State, Robert Ndlala said between the months of February and March 2015, the accused together with his accomplices who are still at large, terrorised shops mostly in Zhombe, Kwekwe and Silobela, robbing them of electrical gadgets and groceries.
“Magarisanwa and accomplices would produce a pistol and threaten to kill shop keepers whom they would force to hand over electrical gadgets and groceries.
“The robbers were targeting mostly shops in Zhombe, Kwekwe and Silobela where they robbed radios, digital video players and laptops,” Ndlala said.
He also told the court that the accused was caught after he stole property at a school where he was performing community service for a different offence.local
