Four Zimbo men in SA court for allegedly terrorising motorists on R80 highway

By James Mahlokwane

Four Zimbabwean men bust for alleged crimes on motorists along the R80 highway appeared in the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court.

This comes a week after tow-truck drivers and motorists blocked the (Mabopane) highway demanding police action against violent perpetrators who attacked motorists around the Theo Martins poort in the Magaliesberg.

Tshwane residents were furious after voice notes circulated on social media about the suspects who have been hitting motorists with rocks, dragging them into the bushes to rob them and forcing them to send them money.

The Shona speaking suspects aged between 21 and 33 were accused of hiding in the mountain and attacking unsuspecting motorists who stopped on the highway to either urinate or attend to a car mechanical failure.

Anymore Gumbi, Lucious Mbiza, Cosmos Chikayatadza allegedly used a firearm to rob one motorist on the R80 around Rosslyn on September 12, while Chikayataza also worked with the fourth suspect Norest Sigaule to rob another motorist of his belongings and firearm on August 26.

The court is still waiting for the police to verify the addresses of the suspects who claimed to be residents of Hercules in Pretoria West and Marabastad, before they appear back in court to lodge their bail application on October 26.

The prosecution indicated that the National Prosecution Authority indicated it will also seek to verify whether or not the the suspects are residing in South African legally, before their bail applications could be heard.

A lawyer who asked not to be named said the people in the north of Tshwane were tired of criminals hiding around the R80 highway and in the mountains in order to attack unsuspecting motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

She said they have united and they’ll be taking action to create awareness and help put in jail criminals lurking in these crime hotspot areas. She said it was time these people were sent away from the rest of the good society.

The court will also be prosecuting the suspects for allegedly attacking a man who was with his family, pulling them out of the car and assaulting them.

Court documents indicate that the suspects used rocks to attack the victims. One of the survivors indicated last week when people blocked the highway that he too was hit with a rock on the head while urinating.

He said he was then dragged into the bushes, stabbed and robbed. He thought he was lucky to come out alive as he was left on the ground with wood on his head, indicating that they wanted to burn him but bikers’ noises made the assailants flee the scene. Pretoria News