By Panashe Divine Karidzagundi
A 35-year-old Beitbridge man has been jailed for an effective 12 months for robbing a taxi driver at knife-point.
He stole the car worth $4 200, a cellphone and R250 cash.
Mashudu Mbedzi appeared before Beitbridge Regional Magistrate Charity Maphosa on Friday.
The State was represented by prosecutor Mercy Nyathi.
On January 22, 2026, at around 10:45pm, the complainant, Abel Mukuta, a private pirate taxi driver in Beitbridge, was at work operating his silver Honda Fit .
Mbedzi hired him from the Beitbridge Border Post roundabout to a destination near a Lodge in the town’s New Medium Density suburb.
Near the lodge, Mbedzi allegedly got out of the car and told the driver to wait while he went to collect the taxi fare.
A few minutes later, he returned with an accomplice, identified as Tobias Tapiwa Mpofu, who is still at large.
The court heard that Mbedzi got back into the taxi and produced a knife, threatening to kill the driver if he did not hand over his valuables.
Fearing for his life, Mukuta surrendered his Samsung Galaxy A16 and cash amounting to R250.
The robbers then forced him out of the vehicle and drove away with the car.
Nyathi alleg that the detectives later recovered the stolen vehicle on January 23 at a homestead in Malala Village under Chief Sitaudze after receiving information about its whereabouts.
Investigations revealed that the car had been brought there by Mbedzi and another unidentified man during the early hours of the same day.
Mukuta later positively identified the recovered vehicle as his.
Further investigations led to Mbedzi’s arrest on February 7.
Police also recovered the stolen cellphone on February 10 from a man who told detectives he had bought it from the accused.
The total value of the stolen property was US$4,200 and R250, with the vehicle and cellphone later recovered.
In passing sentence, Maphosa said the court considered highly mitigating factors.
Mbedzi was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment, with 18 months suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour, leaving him to serve an effective 12 months behind bars.
Police are still searching for the second suspect who remains on the run.