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Munyaradzi Musiiwa Midlands Correspondent
Armed robbers driving a silver Honda Fit without registration numbers are on the prowl in Gweru where they are targeting cross border traders and Midlands State University (MSU) students.

A number of robberies have been reported in Gweru City.

The robbers have been operating near the MSU campus and at pick-up points for cross border traders travelling to South Africa at night using cross border buses.

This reporter witnessed the gang robbing a South African bound woman who had just bought food at the Chicken Inn outlet along Lobengula Avenue at around 9pm on Thursday. The gang drove up to her grabbed the bag she was holding dragging her for close to 100 meters as she tried to wrestle the bag from them. They eventually pushed her and she fell on the tarmac and she sustained serious head and body injuries. The robbers then sped off.

Several students have also reportedly lost laptops and cellphones to the robbers.

A police source confirmed that in the past two weeks they have recorded three robbery cases where students lost money, cellphones and other valuables to robbers.

Meanwhile, two armed robbers-cum-rapists who were recently arrested and brought to court on several counts of armed robbery, car-jacking and rape have been remanded in custody to May 31 for trial.

The two robbers Simbarashe Muwanikwi of Kuwadzana high density suburb in Harare and Tinashe Mazhete appeared before Gweru magistrate Ms Beauty Dube facing robbery, car-jacking and rape charges. For the State, Ms Constance Mudzudzu alleged that the two accused persons terrorised Gweru residents after breaking into houses, raped their victims, stole money and cars.

Ms Mudzudzu told the court that on April 18, the robbers broke into a house in South Downs Extension in Gweru armed with iron bars where they woke the owners up and took U$ 2 000, ZAR 1 500.

They forcibly undressed one of the victims and gang raped her. In another incident, on April 25 the two broke into a house in Gweru east where they found a couple sleeping.

They then demanded money and took RTGS $ 6 770. Ms Mudzudzu said they hit the husband with a hoe on the head and knee and he fell to the ground.

The two, the court also heard, stole a car from the family’s garage and drove away. They went and dumped the vehicle in Chiwundura after removing the wheels.

In another incident the accused persons broke into a house in South Downs where they stole a car, bed, US$ 71 and raped the victim. The accused persons were arrested on Workers’ Day following a tip-off.

Muwanikwi was arrested in Kuwadzana while his accomplice Mazhete was arrested in Gweru. Some of the stolen property was recovered at the accused’s hideout.