THREE armed robbers who pounced on a Chitungwiza firm Black Granite and made off with two safes containing over $185 000, were on Friday slapped with a 12-year jail term each by regional magistrate Noel Mupeiwa.
SENIOR COURT REPORTER
Ignatius Muchanyu (33), Tichaona Suwala (27) and Edren George (37) pleaded guilty to the robbery charge, but their nine alleged accomplices pleaded not guilty and were remanded in custody to January next year for trial.
“I have noted that the accused persons used a firearm and that the offence was well planned and premeditated . . . they were well determined to commit the offence and they benefited from it since most of the property was not recovered,” said Mupeiwa before sentencing the three to a 12-year jail term each (eight years effective).
Four years were suspended on condition of good behaviour and restitution.
The convicts were also being charged alongside a Public Service Commission employee Edmond Muhlangazana.
The gang is said to have buried the empty safes at a hut in Goromonzi.
According to the State, Muhlangazana (39) is alleged to have acted in cahoots with Suwala, Muchanyu, George, Stephen Matanhire (42), Taurai Dzingai (44), Killian Shonhiwa Tagarira (38), Andrew Chijokwe (35), Mutero Nanzi (33), Lovemore Chataika (41) and Bonface George (30) when they robbed the firm on September 28 this year.
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The charges were that the gang armed itself with a pistol and proceeded to Black Granite company premises situated along Mutema Road in the Chitungwiza industrial site.
At the time Suwala and Muchanyu — both members of a neighbourhood watch based at Waterfalls Police Station — were allegedly clad in riot police uniforms.
Upon arrival at Black Granite, Suwala and Muchanyu together with three others, disembarked from their vehicle and approached two security guards Zaranyika Chirambadare and Ignatius Mangwiro, who were manning the premises.
The accused, masquerading as police officers on duty, produced a firearm and accused the guards of selling granite rocks during the night.
They force-marched Chirambadare and Mangwiro into their vehicle on the pretext they were taking them to Harare Central Police Station for further interrogation, but later dumped them in the bush near Manyame Air Base.
The other gang members broke into one of the offices where they stole two safes and two cash boxes containing $185 032, 1 128 050 Zambian kwacha and 15 250 Kenyan shillings before disappearing from the scene.
They later teamed up and proceeded to George’s homestead at Nyamayaro village, Chief Chikwaka, Goromonzi, where they broke the safes and shared the cash before burying the empty safes in George’s hut where they were recovered by the police.
