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Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
A soldier who is suspected to be part of a gang of rogue troops that are robbing and assaulting people in the central business district (CBD) while in army uniform, appeared in court last week. Walter Musarurwa (26), stationed at 1 Presidential Guard, is facing five counts of robbery.

He appeared before magistrate Mr Francis Mapfumo, who granted him $200 bail coupled with stringent conditions among them reporting to the police thrice a week .

It is the State’s case that on May 6 at around 7pm, Rodson Tondori was walking along Chinhoyi Street in the company of his friend when they met Musarurwa and his alleged accomplice.
They were both wearing their army uniforms.

Musarurwa, the court heard, stopped the pair and demanded that they surrender their mobile phones and they complied.
He then took the phones and started walking after ordering Tondori and his friend to follow them. Along the way they met two other people who they also ordered to comply with their orders.

It is alleged Musarurwa and his workmate told their victims that they were taking them to their base accusing them of loitering.
When they got to Seke Road, Musarurwa ordered the victims to lie on the ground and they complied. The pair then disappeared from the scene.

An hour later, Musarurwa and his accomplice allegedly robbed Misheck Mundandi of his cellphone and $12.
The following day at around midnight, Prince Musakwa was in the company of his workmates on their way home when they were approached by Musarurwa and his accomplice.

Musarurwa stopped the victims and started searching them before taking Musakwa’s mobile phone and disappeared.
The victims gave chase and when they caught up with the pair, they were thoroughly beaten by the two soldiers.

The accused persons then pounced on Sharmaine Sande and Munashe Mahusekwa, who are employed as a waitresses, and were on their way home from work.

They said their boss was robbed the previous night so they were taking people caught “loitering” to One Commando for an identification parade.

They allegedly took the pair’s cellphones and jumped into a parked taxi.
Sande, the court heard, stood in front of the taxi screaming for help and the two soldiers disembarked and started assaulting her.

Mahusekwa alerted the police officers who were on patrol leading to the arrest of Musarurwa. His alleged accomplice escaped.
Meanwhile, another soldier Rufaro Gudo (25), was fined $200 by magistrate Ms Barbra Mateko for stealing five mobile phones and $20 cash from his housemates.

Gudo will serve two months in prison if he fails to pay the money.