Zimpapers Logo

Elizabeth Tsuro Midlands Reporter
A 25-year-old Kwekwe man was slapped with a 10 year jail term for hijacking a soldier’s pirate taxi and robbing him of goods worth about $3,700. Tafadzwanashe Manzungu of Mbizo in Kwekwe, together with two accomplices who are still at large, allegedly throttled the soldier with a piece of wire before hitting him on the head with an empty beer bottle.

Manzungu appeared before Regional Magistrate Collet Ncube facing one count of robbery. He pleaded guilty and will serve an effective six years after Ncube conditionally suspended four.

In passing sentence, Ncube said there was a surge in robbery cases adding that heavy sentences should be passed to deter would be offenders. “What you did is unlawful. The fact that you got away with someone’s property means you should be punished and you deserve a lengthy custodial sentence,” he said.

“However, in assessing sentence the court will consider that you are a first offender. You’ve been sentenced to 10 year in prison, 4 years suspended on condition that you don’t commit a similar offence in the next 5 years.”

Prosecuting, Andrew Marimo told the court that on December 3 this year around 9PM, David Chikuta who is employed at the Zimbabwe National Army Headquarters in Harare parked his Honda Fit vehicle at Global Flea market in Gweru.

“Chikuta was approached by Manzungu and his two accomplices who are still at large and they hired him to take them to Ridgemont suburb,” he said. “They ordered him to stop at a house along Homefield Road and one of them got out of the car and pretended he wanted to collect some items from the house.”

Marimo said instead of going into the house, Manzungu came to the driver’s side and knocked on the window. The court heard that while Chikuta was lowering the window, one of them slipped a piece of wire around his neck and started throttling him.

The court further heard that one of the men struck Chikuta on the head with a beer bottle. “Manzungu and his accomplices tied Chikuta’s hands behind his back and dragged him out of his vehicle before they demanded money from him. They frisked him and took his two Samsung cell phones and his wallet before they drove away in his vehicle,” said Marimo.

On the same night around midnight, officers who were on patrol spotted the pirate taxi which had no number plates parked outside a lodge in Gweru. They approached the occupants and two men ran away, leaving Manzungu behind. Of the $3,702 worth of property stolen, property valued $3,200 was recovered.