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Nyore Madzianike

Senior Court Reporter

ONE suspected member of the gang of armed robbers that stole US$30 000 and Land Cruiser from Koala Meats on Tuesday last week appeared in court yesterday for initial remand and his arrest also clears up an attempted murder last month.

Kudakwashe Gumbeze of Zengeza 1, Chitungwiza, appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court charged with robbery with initial evidence saying that call records showed that his mobile phone was in or near the scene of the robbery at the time of the assault.

He was not asked to plead to the charges when he appeared before regional magistrate Mrs Marehwanazvo Gofa, who remanded him in custody to October 12 and told him only the High Court could hear his bail application.

The State led by Mr Godswill Dzivakwe alleges that on Tuesday last week Gumbeze and accomplices named as Never Mushawi, Zacharia Mukombachaza and Mike Michela dressed themselves in orange overalls similar to those used by Koala staff, armed themselves with a pistol and went to the farm.

They allegedly confronted farm workers and held them hostage at gun point until the arrival of the farm manager Bradley Perry. The gang kidnapped Mr Perry and told him to call general manager Darrel Mill. 

Mr Mill responded to the call and went to the wheat fields where he was also held hostage and told to call section manager Adrian Olivier to bring US$30 000 to the wheat fields. While waiting the gang searched all the people and took their money and cellphones.

They tied them all of them with cables ties, loaded them into the managers’ cars and drove along Joshua Nkomo (Airport) Road, dumped the tied staff in the bush near Braeside and used Adrian Oliver’s Toyota Land Cruiser as the getaway car, which they later dumped.

According to the State, property worth US$25 000 has been recovered from the US$30 000 cash, the Land Cruiser and another manager’s car, the cellphones and whatever money people had in their pocket.

The arrest of Gumbeze is clearing up another robbery and attempted murder case. 

He was brought before Mrs Gofa again yesterday, this time with Brighton Murimoga of Zengeza 2, Chitungwiza, on attempted murder charges.

Gumbeze and Murigoma allegedly attacked Cecile Mujawamana on the ear with a machete during a robbery at the Mujawamana family home.

It is said that on August 18 at around 7:30pm the two and Simbarashe Nhepera, scaled the precast wall to gain entry into the yard of the home.

They allegedly confronted Mrs Mujawamana, while she was outside the house and one of them struck her on the head with a machete. They took her cellphone, but her husband intervened, forcing the gang to take to their heels.

 Nhepera, who was armed with a machete, was apprehended before he could scale back over the wall and he was disarmed and was taken to the police and has already appeared in court. 

The other two members of the gang have now also been accounted for.