Robbers get 15 years

A gang of armed robbers that reigned terror in Waterfalls, Harare have been jailed for 15 years. Norman Muchemwa, 38, Victor Mubaiwa, 38, of Materereni Flats in Mbare and Moffat Phiri, 34, of Epworth were convicted of armed robbery when they appeared before Harare regional magistrate Elijah Makomo.

They were sentenced to five years imprisonment each and an order was passed for the complainant to be given back some of the recovered property.

Muchemwa, Mubaiwa and Phiri have a slew of pending armed robbery charges set to be heard by the same courts.

“Such cases of robbers that waylaid people after-hours at dark corners are on the increase and a message must be sent to would-be offenders that our courts do not condone such behaviour,” Makomo said.

“Only a custodial sentence will justify this offence and had the accused persons not been apprehended, they could still be on a spree, terrorising and attacking people like the complainant.”

The complainant was Andrew Takawira, 48, of Waterfalls, Harare.

The State proved that on May 26 last year around 10pm, Takawira was coming from Chitungwiza and disembarked from a kombi along Northway Road in Prospect in Waterfalls.

Takawira walked for a few metres on his way home before Muchemwa and his accomplices emerged from the bush and blocked his way.

Mubaiwa produced a knife and ordered Takawira to stop moving and comply with their orders or risk being attacked.

The trio began searching Takawira and seized $40 from him, a Samsung cellphone and removed his shoes before they fled from the scene.

Takawira made a police report and Muchemwa and his accomplices were arrested after successfully tracing the stolen Samsung cellphone through the mobile operator.

The value of Takawira’s stolen property was $110 and only $30 was recovered. DailyNews