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Nokutenda Chiyangwa Herald Reporter
Four suspected youthful robbers from Epworth, Harare, allegedly waylaid two men who were on their way home before stabbing them several times and robbing them of $60 cash.

The quartet of Lincoln Pelekamoyo (20), Robert Pelekamoyo (18), Tinashe Samanyanga (19) and Blessing Nyakumbi (18) also stripped the two men and went away with their clothes and mobile phones. The gang yesterday appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Tilda Mazhandu charged with armed robbery.

It is believed that the two victims, Jonathan Katsande and Simon Chembare, sustained severe injuries and were left for dead.

Though Robert Pelekamoyo and Nyakumbi argued that they were aged 17, and not 18, all four were remanded in custody to March 29 and advised to apply for bail at the High Court.

Prosecutor Ms Linda Gadzikwa told the court that the duo, who are claiming to be under the legal age of majority once appeared in court at the beginning of last year facing robbery charges and tried to play the same trick, claiming they were 17 years old.

She indicated that investigations would be made to ascertain the pair’s age. The court heard that on March 1, Katsande and Chembare were on their way home from Domboramwari Shopping Centre in Epworth when Lincoln and Samanyanga suddenly appeared in front of them and blocked their way.

They later tripped Katsande to the ground. At that moment, Robert and Nyakumbi suddenly emerged from the darkness and joined their accomplices in assaulting the victims.

Lincoln allegedly stabbed Katsande several times with a knife in the head, threatening to kill him if he resisted the attack.

Nyakumbi, the court heard, allegedly turned to Chembare and stabbed him in the left eye.

While the pair was lying in a pool of blood, the gang stripped them and took away their clothes, cash and mobile phones.

Two weeks later, Chembare bumped into Lincoln in Mbare and he positively identified him.

He was assisted by members of the public to effect a citizens’ arrest and took him to the police.

During interrogation, Lincoln implicated his alleged accomplices.