Ropafadzo Mhungu (25), of House Number 16093 Nkulumane and Tapiwa Nyoni (31), of House Number 7967/7 Sizinda, who were both employed by the National Railways of Zimbabwe, had pleaded not guilty to robbery but were convicted by regional magistrate Mr Mark Dzira.

 

Each had two years of their sentences suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.

In passing sentence, Mr Dzira said he had taken into consideration the fact that they were first offenders that have heavy family responsibilities.

The magistrate found in aggravation that they robbed the complainant of his taxi adding that cases of robbery were on the rise in the country.

He noted that taxi drivers were at high risk as they work round the clock and were likely to meet people like the pair.

“Deterrent sentences are called for in such cases so as to deter like-minded people. The court has also taken into account that no weapons or firearm was used,” he said.

Soon after the passing of sentence, Miss Nonhlanhla Moyo, of Advocate SKM Sibanda and Partners for Mhungu and Ms Caroline Mudenda, of Mudenda Attorneys for Nyoni said they had instructions to appeal against the court’s decision.

The prosecutor, Mr Goodluck Katenaire, said on 14 July last year, at about 9.15 pm, the pair was walking along Herbert Chitepo Street when they hatched a plan to rob a taxi.

They stopped a taxi driven by Mr Tinaani Tahwa under the pretext that they were genuine customers going to Sizinda.

The taxi driver charged them $5 and they agreed. The taxi driver drove to Sizinda with Mhungu sitting in the front passenger seat while Nyoni was seated on the left side of the back seat.

While at the robots at the intersection of Nketa Drive and Sizinda Road near Tshabalala Service Station, the State proved that Nyoni pretended as if he wanted to alight resulting in Mr Tahwa stopping the car.

Mhungu instructed the taxi driver to get out of the car but he refused resulting in Mhungu grabbing the steering wheel while Nyoni got out of the vehicle and went to the driver’s side.

Nyoni opened the driver’s door and pulled Mr Tahwa outside holding him by the waist belt and trying to take him to the back of the taxi.

At that moment, another motorist approached and Mhungu jumped over to the driver’s seat and drove off leaving Nyoni and the complainant behind.

On realising that help was getting nearer, Mr Tahwa grabbed Nyoni by his waist until the other motorist got to the scene and assisted him in taking Nyoni to Tshabalala Police Station where a report was made.

While at the police station, Mr Tahwa received a phone call from a fellow taxi driver who was informing him that his (Tahwa) taxi had been involved in an accident not knowing that Mr Tahwa had been a victim of a robbery.

Mr Tahwa, after receiving directions as to where his taxi was, took the police to the scene where Mhungu was arrested and the taxi was recovered.

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