Zimpapers Logo

Abel Zhakata Mutare Bureau
POLICE have arrested a gang of armed robbers that gunned down a well-known Marange illegal diamond dealer in February and robbed him of $3 000.

Marcos Madhume (34), Thomas Mike Makoni Nyakujara (43) and Luckson Marova (24) were arrested last week at their hideouts in Harare and Rusape.

On Monday, the three appeared before Mutare provincial magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe facing murder charges. They were not asked to plead and were advised to apply for bail at the High Court in Harare since they were facing a Third Schedule offence.

Following their arrest, detectives recovered a Star pistol that was used in the commission of the crime. The suspects also led detectives to the scene of the crime where they made some indications on how they executed the robbery.

Spent cartridges that were picked at the scene of the crime also matched with the recovered pistol. Public prosecutor, Mr Fletcher Karombe, told the court that the suspects murdered Blessing Chikwangura after they pumped four bullets into his chest during the robbery.

“On the fateful day at around 11pm, Chikwangura received a phone call from an unknown number inviting him to come out of his house. He woke up and asked his wife, Chioniso Sithole to close the door after he had left,” he said.

“He got into his car, a Ford Ranger (Registration ADY 6184), and drove towards Kurauone Primary School. After about an hour, he came back home and parked his car in the yard. He called his wife to unlock the door and quickly got into the house and locked the door from inside.

“The armed robbers peeped through the window and ordered Chikwangura to come out of the house but he refused,” said Mr Karombe.

It is alleged that they went to the dining room and broke all the windowpanes. They then used a log to break the bedroom door and gained entry into the bedroom.

At that moment, Chikwangura was hiding behind a wardrobe, while his wife hid in the bathroom. One of the robbers allegedly hit Chikwangura with a log on the head while the other robber fired a shot towards the now deceased.

Chikwangura who was now armed with a machete managed to escape from the bedroom and bolted out of the house through the main door which had been opened. “The suspects fired more shots towards the direction Chikwangura had used.

His wife escaped into the darkness with her four-year-old child. “The robbers, who were now alone at the compound ransacked the house and stole $3 000 from a headboard drawer and a Samsung Tablet.

They disappeared into the night,” said Mr Karombe. Chikwangura was found about 20 metres away from his house in a pool of blood and he died as efforts were being made to take him to hospital.

Police and army officers who were patrolling the diamond rich area rushed to the scene after hearing gunshots, but the suspects had long gone.