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Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
Six suspected armed robbers donning Zimbabwe National Army regalia and Zimbabwe Republic Police attire, allegedly robbed a local businessman of over $100 000 cash at his Borrowdale house after getting inside information from his nephew.

The court heard that the complainant, Albert Chawira, operates flea markets in the capital and his nephew, Tawanda, who worked for him, allegedly gave information to the robbers on his uncle’s cash movements and where he kept the money at home.

A few days after the robbery, the gang was involved in a car accident, which claimed the life of one of them. Tawanda (23) and another suspect Berzel Mazarure (28) appeared in court recently facing armed robbery charges and were remanded in custody.

One of their accomplices, Philani Dhliwayo (27), appeared before magistrate Mrs Rumbidzai Mugwagwa yesterday facing similar charges and was also remanded in custody due to the gravity of the offence, with instructions to apply for bail at the High Court.

Prosecuting, Ms Linda Gadzikwa alleged that on December 16 last year, Dhliwayo, Mazarure and four other accomplices, who are still at large, armed themselves with pistols and headed to Chawira’s Borrowdale home.

Acting on the supplied information, the gang scaled the precast wall at the complainant’s house and smashed the kitchen window to gain entry. One of the occupants, Trymore Masiya, allegedly heard some noise and decided to check where it was coming from. He then saw the gang in the house and rushed upstairs screaming for help.

The suspects gave chase and allegedly manhandled him before he could get to the complainant’s bedroom and forced their way into the main bedroom. While inside the bedroom, one of the suspects produced a pistol and pointed it at Chawira while demanding cash and other valuables.

The suspects told the complainant that they had information that he had received some money from former finance minister Ignatius Chombo, hence, they wanted it. They allegedly assaulted him all over the body before he opened his wardrobe and took a bag containing $20 000 and handed it over to Mazarure. The suspects further assaulted him demanding more money and they broke his hand, the court heard.

It is the State’s case that the gang then ransacked the room and stole $84 000, which was stashed under the bed. They also went away with several mobile phones. A few days after the robbery, Dhliwayo and two of the accomplices, Prince Makodza and Gerald Mupandare, were involved in a car accident along Harare-Mukumbura Road.

Dhliwayo disappeared from the scene, while Makodza and Mupandare were seriously injured before they were rushed to hospital by a Good Samaritan. Mupandare died on admission to hospital, while Makodza escaped from the hospital.

Police searched their damaged vehicle and recovered two special revolvers, rounds of ammunition, ZNA and ZRP regalia. Police investigations led to Tawanda’s arrest and during interrogation, he allegedly admitted to committing the offence and volunteered information, leading to the recovery of his uncle’s stolen cellphones. He then implicated his alleged accomplices.