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Midlands Bureau Chief
THREE men from Gweru have each been sentenced to ten years for robbing a Kwekwe policeman of his vehicle, money and clothes.

The robbers are also expected to be sentenced on Friday for raping two minor girls.

Pardon Makuni (19), Ashley Moses (21) and Menard Gwatiedza (21) appeared before Gweru Regional Magistrate Mrs Phathekile Msipa facing one count each of armed robbery.

The trio pleaded guilty.

Mrs Msipa sentenced each of them to ten years in prison before suspending two years from each of their sentences on condition of good behaviour.

It was the State case that on February 24 at around 1AM, Makuni, Moses and Gwatiedza armed with a small axe and knives broke into the house of a police officer in Kwekwe.

The court heard that they tied the police officer’s hands and that of his wife before demanding money.

Makuni, Moses and Gwatiedza stole cellphones, bank cards as well as cash: US$300 and $3000.

They then got away driving the complainant’s car which was later found dumped 12km from Kwekwe along the Gweru- Kwekwe highway.

Mr Talent Tadenyika appeared for the State.

Meanwhile, Moses and Gwatiedza appeared before Zvishavane Regional Magistrate Mr Christopher Maturure facing fresh charges of rape and armed robbery.

Moses and Gwatiedza pleaded guilty.

The matter was remanded to Friday for sentence after the State requested that HIV tests be conducted on the two complainants aged 14 and 17 years who were raped by the two during one of their robberies in Redcliff town.

It is the State case as presented by prosecutor Mr Kelvin Guveya that Moses and Gwatiedza working in cahoots with another accused person who is still on the run broke into a house belonging to a police officer in February.

They handcuffed the police officer using his handcuffs before robbing him of cellphones and valuables worth $5 000. The trio armed with a small axe and a knife broke into another house in Redcliff where they raped two minors aged 14 and 17 years before running away.

The matters were reported to the police leading to their arrest.