Harare, (New Ziana) – A robber who terrorized people on highways around Masvingo has been jailed for 20 years by a local magistrates’ court.

Isaac Pomerai Chamisa (34) of Gokova Village, Chief Nhema, Zaka will however serve an effective 14 years imprisonment after the court ruled that two years be suspended on condition he restitutes his victims while a further four years were conditionally suspended for five years.

In a post on X, the National Prosecution Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) said Chamisa who used a fake pistol among his array of weapons was convicted of four counts of robbery.

He began his reign of terror on January 8 this year at Nerupiri Turn off along the Masvingo-Mutare highway near Mutimurefu Prison when he emerged from the bush and approached Tiniel Chiwungwa, Gerald Mukomondo and Fortunate Sithole who were attending to a broken down vehicle.

He threatened them using with a firearm and ordered them to get back into the vehicle and they complied after which he demanded valuables and the complainants surrendered their belongings.

Chamisa disappeared into the bush with US$48, ZWG40 and three cell phones.

On June 24, Tinashe Shoko offered Chamisa a lift from Beitbridge enroute to Masvingo. Chamisa sat on the front passenger seat when along the way; he withdrew a firearm and pointed it at Shoko.

He then ordered Shoko to pull off the road and forcibly took away his car keys, US$180, ZAR500 and cell phone before he disappeared into the bush.

Investigations led to Chamisa’s arrest and the recovery of a Hisense U70 cell phone belonging to one of the three men he robbed near Mutimurefu Prison, an okapi knife and a toy pistol that he used to commit the crimes.

New Ziana