100 years jail for armed robbery brothers
By Courtney Matende
Two brothers from Mberengwa district who committed a spate of armed robberies and rape in the same district, have been sentenced to a combined 100 years in jail by a Gweru regional magistrate.
The siblings are already serving 18 years each following their conviction for multiple counts of unlawful entry and theft.
Shepherd Hove (33) and Tafadzwa (22) pleaded not guilty to five counts each of rape and robbery before Mrs Phathekile Msipa.
They were however convicted after a full trial and each sentenced to 50 years in jail.
The brothers will however each serve an effective 40 years in jail after 10 years were suspended on condition of good behaviour.
They will now serve 58 years each as they had just started serving their 18 years each for several counts of unlawful entry and theft.
The court heard that one of the complainants survived rape at the hands of the duo after lying that she had cancer.
It was the State case that on May 24 last year Shepherd, Tafadzwa and their accomplice Ndabaningi Moyo who is still at large, who resides at Village 3, Chief Maziofa, Mberengwa intentionally used violence against the first complainant (name withheld) a resident at Svita Business Centre.
They threatened her with a machete, an axe and a knife and stole her property worth RTGS$284.
The court heard Shepherd went on to remove the complainant’s underwear while holding an okapi knife, wore a condom and raped her.
The victim only reported the case on May 28 to the police and was taken to hospital for medical examination.
The court heard that the siblings and Moyo raided three shops at Svita Business Centre and stole goods worth about RTGS$2 000.
On another count, the trio broke into a room where there were two women (names withheld to protect their identity) at Maphisa Store also in Mberengwa.
Shepherd, Tafadzwa and Moyo punched and kicked the women and ordered them to cover their faces before ordering them to undress.
The court heard that the first complainant refused and pleaded with them not to sexually abuse her claiming that she was suffering from cervical cancer. They went on to take turns to rape the second complainant.
In another incident, the trio broke into a shop in Mberengwa and the shop keeper Lazarus Gumbo was awakened by banging sounds.
Gumbo came face to face with Shepherd, Tafadzwa and Moyo who were armed with an axe, a machete and a knife. Gumbo was slapped on the cheek by one of the accused and the gang stole property worth RTGS$419.
At Mahlamvana, on another count, the armed trio ordered a shop keeper Jeep Maphosa to surrender all his money and he gave them RTGS$80. They went on to steal his property worth $573. The Chronicle
