Ziyah News Court Reporter
Bothwell Nyamwala (23) from Hurungwe, Tapiwa Bhauti (26) of Domboramwari, and Admire Mukuta (33) of Stoneridge, Harare, were found guilty of two counts of robbery and sentenced to 18 years in prison. They were convicted and sentenced at the Karoi Magistrates’ Court.
According to reports from the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), the three accused, along with six accomplices who are still at large, attacked the complainant while he was in his shop with his two young brothers at around 10:00 PM.
They ordered the complainant and his brothers to lie down. When the complainant resisted, the accused took turns assaulting him with open hands and booted feet.
To force the complainant into submission, they produced a pistol and tied his hands and legs with rope.
The complainant surrendered USD 300 to the accused, who ransacked the shop, forcibly taking several items including clothes, shoes, USD 5,800 in cash, and the complainant’s car keys before fleeing the scene.
One of the complainant’s neighbors pursued the accused in his Nissan Caravan and found them parked inside a black Honda Fit. The accused sped off when the neighbor tried to block their vehicle, leaving the first and second accused behind.
The first and second accused then drove away in the complainant’s vehicle, but eventually abandoned it upon realizing they were being chased.
They were apprehended by villagers in a bushy area. The escape plan of their accomplices was foiled when their Honda Fit overturned, forcing them to flee on foot.
The first and second accused led to the arrest of the third accused and the recovery of some of the complainant’s property.
The total value stolen was USD 16,600, of which USD 10,000 was recovered.