Harare, (New Ziana) – The Bindura Magistrates’ Court has sentenced three armed robbers to 38 years imprisonment each for a spate of 10 armed robberies around the nickel mining town.

In a post on X, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) said Ladma Mutesa (39), Tapiwa Nyakudya (31) and Sande Saini (32) and their accomplices Mike Mapona also known as Murefu, Shoti and Fungai who are still at large pounced on the complainants’ houses in Nyakudya Mazarura Village under Chief Masembura in Bindura on April 21 and stole US$350, smart phones, groceries and other household goods. The six robbers used iron bars to forcibly open the back door to gain entry into the main house where six complainants were sleeping.

Armed with iron bars and wooden logs, the robbers manhandled the complainants and tied their hands with brick force wire. They ordered the complainants to surrender their cellphones before they ransacked the house and took an assortment of groceries, household goods and US$350 cash.

The following night, the six men pounced on the second house in the same village and robbed the three occupants of their valuables.

They knocked on the door and introduced themselves as police officers. After the complainants opened the door, they manhandled and force-marched them to the main house where they forcibly took their smart phones.

One of the complainants who was not home when the gang arrived, got home driving a Toyota Quantum. The robbers ambushed him and assaulted him using clenched fists. They dragged him to a pigsty where they tied his hands and legs to a pole.

They took his smart phone before driving off in his motor vehicle. The motor vehicle developed a mechanical fault and they dumped it about 2km away from the house from where it was recovered.

Mutesa was arrested on April 23 following a tip-off. He led police to Nyakudya and Sain.

The total value of the stolen property was US$15 450, of which goods worth US$13 450 was recovered.

New Ziana