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Prosper Dembedza Court Correspondent
A suspected armed robber who is part of Mussa Taj Abdul’s gang has appeared in court on allegations of robbing over $US52 000 from a house in Chivhu.

Rudolph Kanhanga (30) who is currently on remand on other armed robbery charges was not asked to plead to robbery charges when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi.

He was remanded in custody and advised to apply for bail at the High court. The court heard that on November 8 2019 Kanhanga and his accomplices were driving a Toyota Altezza while armed with iron bars.

It is alleged that while working on common purpose they went to complainant’s place of residence where they scaled over the durawall to gain entry into the house. It is alleged that while in the house they assaulted the complainant and his family with iron bars demanding cash. It is the State’s case that the complainant surrendered US$52 000, $23 000, 180 000 rand’s and an HP laptop.

The court heard that the accused persons also took the complainant’s vehicle keys a Toyota Hilux double cab in which they bundled the complainant and his family before they drove off.

It is alleged that the complainant managed to escape along the way and his family was later dumped along the way. The accused persons then dumped the complainant’s vehicle in Chivhu where it was recovered.

Kanhanga was recently granted bail at the High Court. Meanwhile, police strongly believe some of the country’s suspected serial armed robbers who are out on bail pending trials or appeals, are behind a spate of recent criminal activities in the country.

There has been a marked increase in armed robberies in country in recent weeks with robbers getting away with huge sums of money.
Last week, armed robbers stole seven trunks of cash that had been collected from Choppies supermarket chain branches in Bulawayo and made off with $194 287; US$11 315; R35 595 and 25 pula, after firing several shots during the raid.