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Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
Three suspected robbers posed as City of Harare employees and gained entry into one of their victims’ premises on the pretext they intended to install prepaid water meters, before robbing the complainant at knifepoint.The trio – Tatenda Sakarombe (31), Tendai Jongwe (46) and Moses Chimuchembere – got away with cash and valuables worth thousands of dollars.

They are in remand prison and their trial commences today before magistrate Ms Lucy Mungwari. Prosecutor Mr Ephraim Zinyandu alleged that on March 29 at around 10am, the trio hatched a plan to rob Cecilia Mukandamage.

In pursuant of their plan, they hired a vehicle from Tafadzwa Gumbo which they were to use as a getaway car. The following day, the trio proceeded to Mukandamage’s house in Waterfalls at around 9am.

Mukandamage, who was in the living room with her daughter, saw one of the accused persons entering through the unlocked gate.

The court heard that Mukandamage and her daughter went outside to find out what he wanted and at the same time, the other two accused persons entered.

Upon enquiry, the accused persons lied that they were City of Harare employees and were there to install prepaid water meters. While the complainant was still questioning them, the trio suddenly attacked Mukandamage and her daughter.

They assaulted them all over their bodies, the court heard. It is the State’s case that the gang pushed Mukandamage and her daughter back into the house.

They tied their legs and hands before gagging them with masking tape.

The trio ransacked the house demanding cash and when the complainant told them that she did not have money, one of the accused suddenly grabbed a kitchen knife and threatened to stab her.

They kept on demanding to know the whereabouts of the complainant’s safe and she insisted that she did not have one. The State alleged that the trio then took a 49-inch television, microwave, iron and $1 700 in cash.

After looting the said property, the gang dashed out of the house and loaded the stolen property into their car. They then sped off, leaving the complainant and her daughter still tied up.

As they were driving off, Mukandamage’s daughter managed to stand up and got a view of the registration number of the vehicle.

She managed to roll out of the house and sought assistance from their neighbour. Using the registration number plate, the police managed to track down the driver who then implicated Sakarombe.

According to the State, Sakarombe implicated his alleged accomplice Chimuchembere, who led the police to the recovery of the microwave and television.