US$380K robbery suspect in spending spree

Senior Court Reporter 

ONE of the suspected armed robbers who pounced on ZX Fuels in Highfield, Harare, and stole US$380 000 allegedly received US$35 000 as his “cut” and went on to buy a residential stand and two cars.

Tonderai Muzira bought the 201 square-metre stand in Glaudina, Harare for US$10 500, a Toyota Hiace for US$9 000 and a Honda Fit for US$6 000.

The details of how the remaining US$9 000 was spent were not given in court.

Muzira yesterday appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Yeukai Dzuda charged with armed robbery and money laundering. He was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to June 17 pending further investigations.

Adam Rashid Chipanga, Joseph Bilson Makoni and Tawanda Gawu, who are also accused of the armed robbery, have since been arrested and appeared in court while the final three, named as Mahachi, Diva and Muturikwa, are still being hunted by police.

The State led by Mr Anesu Chirenje alleges that on May 4 this year, Muzira teamed up with the other six and the gang robbed ZX Fuels. 

The gang was armed with a rifle when they confronted security guards and fuel attendants at ZX Fuels, tied them up with ropes and broke into one of the offices where they blasted open a safe and stole US$2 316.

They then broke into another office where they smashed shutter glasses to get into the storeroom where they used explosives to remove a small safe mounted on the wall and holding US$380 000.

The robbers loaded the safe into a Toyota Wish parked in the yard and belonging to truck driver Edmore Mumba and drove away. On May 12, the Toyota Wish was recovered in Epworth.

The court heard that there is a clear closed circuit television footage showing all seven suspects as the gang robbed ZX Fuels.

The court heard that Muzira was found with US$2 000, which he failed to account for, plus agreements of sale for the stand and cars he bought.

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