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Upenyu Chaota
19 March 2017, MASVINGO – Prominent prosecutor, James Zvikomborero Murambiza last week ran home naked after two knife – wielding robbers mugged him in his car and took away all his clothes, a laptop, cell phones and cash amounting to US$123.
Murambiza (34), who resides at ZRP Zimuto Camp, was robbed in a bushy area close to Sundown Lodge.
Tawanda Murumbi (21), of Marufu Village under Chief Mazungunye in Bikita, and Kudzai Zibhowa (41), of Kuranga village under Chief Nyajena, stood before Magistrate Victor Muhamad on Monday.
Though they pleaded guilty to charges of armed robbery, they denied the facts supporting the charges, claiming that they did not enter Murambiza’s car while he was away but they entered when he was busy having sex with an unknown woman on the rear seat of the motor vehicle.
They were, nonetheless, sentenced to four years in prison each with one year suspended on condition that they do not commit a similar offense in the next five years.
Murumbi and Zibhowa were represented by human rights lawyer, Collins Maboke of Maboke and Ruvengo Legal Practitioners.
It was the State’s case that on March 8, 2017 at around 2000 hrs, Murambiza was driving his car along Old Great Zimbabwe Road towards the CBD when he stopped his car to relieve himself.
Upon returning to his car, Murambiza felt two knives being pressed on his neck and he noticed that he was being robbed. He was then forced to drive along the dusty road towards Sundown Lodge and ordered to park his vehicle in a bushy area.
It was heard that the complaint was assaulted with clenched fists and was robbed of the items and all his clothes in the process.
The robbers then tied the Murambiza’s hands with shoe laces, disconnected the car battery, took away the car keys from the ignition pot and disappeared into the night.
Murumbi was arrested in Zvishavane the following day while trying to sell the stolen items while Zibhowa was arrested two days later in Runyararo South West, Masvingo.
Fidelis Nyamukondiwa prosecuted.local
