By Rangarirai Shanyurai

Two of the four armed robbers that had caused sleepless nights to Ngundu residents were finally sentenced to 11 and 18 years jail terms respectively after being convicted on two counts of robbery each by Masvingo Regional Magistrate Bishard Chineka on September 14, 2024.
James Masunda (28) from Mateza Village, Chief Nyajena was slapped with 11years imprisonment after pleading guilty in court while his accomplice Prosper Cephas Mushandu from Village 19 Mukosi Resettlement, got 18 years after he pleaded not guilty.
The other two accomplices, Eria Ziwurawa and Kudzai Farara are still at large.
It was the state’s case as presented by prosecutor Nickson Chamisa that on May 13, 2024, around 1900 hours, the four proceeded to Varaidzo Zimhunga’s homestead, with the common purpose of committing robbery. They used Ziwurawa’s motor vehicle, a Toyota Fun Cargo.
Upon arrival at Zimhunga’s house, Masunda who was armed with a rifle entered the house while Mushandu remained outside. Masunda found Zimhunga seated in the house counting her money and pointed the rifle threatening to shoot her if she screamed or failed to comply with his demands.
Masunda demanded cash and took a cash box containing R53 000 and a Samsung Galaxy A23 cell phone. Mushandu who was armed with a machete entered the house and instructed Zimhunga to surrender her Honda fit vehicle ignition keys.
Zimhunga asked her son Wisdom Munete to fetch the keys in the kitchen unit but he failed to locate them. Mushandu pressed machete against Wisdom’s back and forced him to get into the bedroom where he took the car keys and later handed them to Masunda.
Farara armed with a pistol, went into another bedroom where he threatened Tadiwanashe Munete and demanded a laptop. Instead, he took a cell phone Hisense Infinite E30 and an itel P40plus and locked Tadiwanashe in the room before they fled the scene using Ziwurawa’s motor vehicle.
On the second count, Masunda, Mushandu and Farara went to Petunia Matewe’s shop at Mukosi Resettlement Area at around 2230 hours where Munyaradzi Mudende (23) was employed as a security guard.
Masunda was armed with a long riffle and an iron bar which he used to break the door while Mushandu remained outside as a sentry armed with a knobkerrie. Ziwurawa remained in the getaway car. Farara was armed with a bolt cutter and they were all dressed in black outfits and balaclavas.
Masunda and Farara entered the shop where they ordered the security guard to lie on the floor and remain silent. They stole 2 x 200 AH Sosola batteries, 210 litres deep freezer, two Dixon speakers with amplifier, royal speaker, Afritech inverter, phonic amplifier, Huawei Y7, Huawei Y5, Samsung A32 and groceries.
Farara tied up the security guard using electric cables before they drove away.
Another shop owner, Anold Matavo, who was sleeping in his shop heard the noise and went to the village to alert Matewe. The two untied Madende and reported the incident to the police.
Police received information that Masunda’s wife, Letmore Vimisai was selling a solar battery believed to be part of stolen property and carried out investigations leading to the arrest of Masunda on May 29, 2024.
He admitted to have committed the offence swith Mushandu and Farara. Police recovered a Samsung Galaxy A23, Hisense Infinite E30, Tippman rifle, a long machete, two dragon blades, a knobkerrie, a blue bolt cutter, an iron bar, a BSA meteor air gun and further leading to the arrest of Mushandu.
This led to the recovery of the other stolen items including an Afritech inverter, Phonic amplifier, Dickson speaker, and speaker stand. Vimisai’s cooperation led to the recovery of stolen goods that are 25 pampers, a Dickson speaker, 210-liter Defy deep freezer fridge, amplifier, and 22 pampers from Ziwurawa’s homestead.
The total value of stolen property is US$1 821:50 and total value recovered was US$1 211.

By Virginia Njovo

Four artisanal miners are in hot soup after they fatally assaulted a Bikita man whom they accused of stealing groceries.
Masvingo Provincial Police Spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa confirmed the death of Tinashe Katsande (36) from Village 30, Chief Ziki in Bikita, urging members of the public to respect the law.
“I confirm the death of Katsande who was assaulted by a group of artisanal miners in Bikita. I urge members of the public not to take the law into their own hands to administer justice when they apprehend people whom they suspect to have committed a crime,” said Dhewa.
Three of the suspects Ephraim Chinhara (34) of village 30 Chief Ziki, Lovemore Chivizhe (44) of the same village and Obert Mundondo (59) of Musarurwa village in Chivhu have since been arrested while the fourth suspect Innocent Marima is still at large.
Circumstances are that on September 15 2024, Katsande was walking home carrying a sack with a half bucket of sorghum, 10kg mealie-meal, two bars of washing soap, and a road-runner chicken when he was intercepted by Chinhara, Chivizhe, Mundondo and Marima.
The four interrogated Katsande demanding to know where he had gotten the goods from. Katsande got aggressive in the process which led to the group assaulting him with sticks before he allegedly confessed that he had stolen the goods from Marima’s homestead.
Katsande was taken to Marima’s homestead as he claimed that he had stolen the items from his homestead only to realise he had lied as the latter denied owning the stolen items after which they decided to hand him over to a local police constabulary.
The group took Katsande to the police constabulary but he failed to walk due to injuries he had sustained from the assault. Katsande was left alone on the roadside and the group found him dead on their way back from the constabulary’s home.
Chivizhe, Mundondo and Chinhara were arrested and taken to ZRP Mashoko while Marima is still on the run. The body was taken to Mashoko Mission Hospital for post-mortem.
Bikita is known for its rich mineral deposits, attracting numerous artisanal miners from different places seeking fortunes. There is an increase in number of conflicts among these communities which has also led to an increase in number of murder cases.
Nationwide the incident reflects broader issues within artisanal mining sectors in the country as miners lack regulation and formal recognition making mining environments tense and life threatening to the community.
In June 2024, Tyson Matarise from Shurugwi (36) tragically lost his life at Dhija mine after being brutally stabbed by nine assailants.

By Meditation Mposi

A Zimuto mentally ill woman was on September 17 arrested after killing her grandmother.
Masvingo Provincial Police Spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa confirmed the death of Martha Mbokochena (84) of Mangisai village, Chief Zimuto and urged the public to monitor their mentally ill relatives all the time.
“I confirm the death of Martha Mbokochena of Mangisai Village Chief Zimuto who died after being attacked by her mentally ill granddaughter. We urge members of the public to take care of their mentally ill relatives and monitor how they take their medication as prescribed by medical practitioners,” said Dhewa.
Circumstances are that the suspect Getrude Nhamo (33), who stayed with the now deceased who was her grandmother, went to Sanele Ndhlovu who is her mother’s young sister and stays in the same village and spent the night of September 16 there.
She returned back home the following day and fatally attacked Mbokochena. In the afternoon Nhamo met a juvenile cousin and told her that she had beaten Mbokochena leaving her bleeding.
The juvenile rushed home and found blood stains in the house and proceeded to Mbokochena’s bedroom where she found her lying and struggling to breath.
The juvenile then rushed to Ndlovu’s house and told her what had happened. Ndlovu mobilized her neighbors, hired a vehicle to ferry the elderly woman to the clinic but on their arrival Mbokochena was already dead.
The matter was reported to police and Nhamo was arrested. Mbokochena’s body was taken to Masvingo Provincial Hospital for postmortem.