Man arraigned for robbery

Yeukai Karengezeka Herald Correspondent
A man from Masembura Village in Bindura has appeared in court for allegedly robbing three farm workers of a 303 rifle, mobile phones and money all worth $1400.

Edson Mhembere (38) appeared before Chitungwiza magistrate Mr Nyasha Vitorini charged with three counts of robbery.

He pleaded not guilty to all the charges and the matter was remanded to April 30 for trial continuation.

Prosecuting, Mr Tatenda Mukatera alleged that on December 25 last year, at around 1am, Mhembere went to Nyasha Joseph’s residence at Nyachidze Farm in the company of his accomplices Tafirenyika Mazongoda and Kudakwashe Mafuta and two other accomplices who are still at large Tawanda Bomba and Mayaya and parked their Nissan Champ in front of the house.

They were armed with iron bars and wooden sticks.

Joseph heard noise and went outside to investigate whereupon Mhembere and his accomplices disembarked from their vehicle asking for directions to Zishiri Farm.

Suddenly they pounced on Joseph and started assaulting him all over the body with a metal object and wooden sticks and he fell down and started bleeding.

The gang then tied Joseph’s hands with a rope and dragged him behind his bedroom and demanded a 303 rifle and he indicated that he had no rifle at the farm.

They kept on asking him for the rifle until one of them went into his house and came back with the rifle, which was hidden behind plastic drums.

Mhembere and his accomplices then proceeded to the bedroom where Love Muzawa (21) and Abigail Maurambi (18), who are general workers at the farm were sleeping and began to assault them with iron bars and wooden logs until they escaped into a nearby bush.

They then stole $140 cash and two cellphones belonging to Joseph and Muzawa before driving away.

The court heard that on February 24, Mhembere, Mazongoda and Mafuta were arrested by detectives from CID Murehwa for armed robbery which they committed in Mutawatawa area using the same 303 rifle that they had stolen.

Mhembere led the police to the recovery of the rifle which was positively identified by the farm owner Colled Gunzo.

Property worth $1 200 was recovered.

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