HARARE magistrate Loice Mukunyadze yesterday sentenced three convicts, who are already serving life sentences, to 12 years imprisonment each after they were convicted for robbing former Information minister Jonathan Moyo’s personal assistant Ropafadzo Mukamba and her family in 2020.
The convicts, Shepherd Chinhara, Kudakwashe Nyashanu and Edison Donza, were jointly charged with Bigboy Munyari.
In her ruling Mukunyadze said the accused were not first offenders, adding that robbery was a very serious offence since it involved serious planning and execution.
She said according to the evidence led from the witnesses, the accused committed robbery in aggravating circumstances, adding that the law stated that a robbery had no provision for a fine hence a long custodial sentence must be imposed.
Mukunyadze said the accused in had mitigation did not say much, accept mentioning that they had families but the court had to consider that the accused knew very well before committing such a heinous act that they had responsibilities.
According to court papers, circumstances are that the convicts went to Mukamba’s house and introduced themselves as officers from the police's Criminal Investigations Department.
The robbers told Mukamba that they were looking for her, misrepresenting that they wanted to inquire about the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef) case which involved her boss Moyo.
The court heard that the robbers requested to discuss the issue in private since it was sensitive.
Mukamba invited them into her dining room before the robbers handcuffed and blindfolded her while claiming that their partner who was investigating the Zimdef case had arrived.
During interrogation, the robbers asked Mukamba what she benefited from the Zimdef deal.
She told them that she was given US$20 000 and the Mazda BT50 which was parked in the yard.
Chinhara and Nyashanu drove off in the two motor vehicles that were parked outside, while the accused remained inside.
Mukamba’s husband arrived home and was also handcuffed and ordered to sit down.
The robbers ransacked the house and found US$47 000 and R15 000, laptops and two Huawei cellphones, before forcing the family into the unregistered Honda Fit belonging to Mukamba.
They drove towards Beatrice and stopped at Kingston Farm.
At around 11pm, the robbers tied their victims with a rope to car seats, got out of the vehicle and set it ablaze before fleeing from the scene.
The complainant’s husband managed to untie himself and his wife before the car was engulfed by fire.
When Beatrice police attended the scene, they found the shell of the vehicle.
Vimbiso Rundare represented the State.