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Crime Reporter 

The wanted suspected armed robber Kudakwashe Choga, believed to have been part of a group of criminals operating from South Africa, who managed to escape arrest although seriously injured last month following a shoot-out with a police crack team in Harare’s Highfield suburb has been arrested in Chitungwiza.

During the shoot-out the cornered Choga managed to flee after sustaining injuries. But the police continued looking for him and this week he was arrested in St Marys, Chitungwiza where he was hiding at his girlfriend’s house.

The girlfriend, Esther Kambande (24) and Choga’s nephew, Ashton Chikurune of Manyame Park, Chitungwiza have also been arrested for harbouring a criminal and assisting Choga with medication.

According to police Kambande had been treating the gunshot wounds on Choga who was shot on the thigh and scrotum during the shoot-out. Chikurune was also alleged to have been harbouring Choga’s accomplices who have since been arrested and are currently in remand prison.

Sources close to the investigations yesterday confirmed the developments and said investigations were still in progress. 

Choga’s other accomplice, Abel Marufu Mukandawire (40) of Unit J, Seke in Chitungwiza, recently appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Shane Kubonera charged with robbery, rape and aggravated indecent assault.

Mukandawire, allegedly raped one of the victims, forced her mother to perform oral sex on him, before defecating in a bucket of maize meal during a robbery in 2019.

Choga and Mukandawire are alleged to have been one of the seven people who robbed the family of a Mercedes Benz into which they loaded property they had stolen.

In their remand hearing Prosecutor Mr Lancelot Mutsokoti said on October 6, 2019, Mukandawire and Choga teamed up with Francis Hazangure, Blessing Gamanya, Edmore Marwizi Mapuranga and Roy Mutemagazi armed with weapons and went to the victim’s house at around midnight. 

They gained entry into the house after breaking the kitchen door and woke up the family before they force-marched them into the lounge where they ordered them to lie facing downwards. The court heard that Mukandawire took the girl to the bathroom where he allegedly raped her.

Mr Mutsokoti alleged that some of Mukandawire’s accomplices took the girl’s mother to a storeroom where one of them inserted his fingers into her private parts.

Mukandawire is alleged to have followed into the storeroom where he forced the girl’s mother to perform oral sex on him.

The robbers allegedly stole cellphones, US$4 110, $700 and other household property which they loaded into the family’s car and drove off.