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Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Court Reporter

FOUR armed robbers who masqueraded as police officers before robbing several Bulawayo residents of more than US$30 000 and R43 000 as well as an assortment of goods worth more than $200 000 have approached the High Court for bail.

Sibanengi Nawire (35) of Leander House in the city’s central business district, Lovemore Ncube (39) of Old Magwegwe, Musa Masuku (46) and Raymond Masawi (30) both of Mzilikazi suburb allegedly connived and robbed 17 Bulawayo residents on different occasions between May 2018 and November last year.

During the commission of the offences, the accused persons, who were allegedly armed with pistols, wore police uniforms and carried handcuffs.

They allegedly raided homes and looted cellphones, car batteries, solar invertors, plasma television sets, cars and shoes among other items.

They are facing nine counts of armed robbery and attempted robbery.

Nawire, Ncube, Masuku and Masawi, through their lawyers Tanaka Law Chambers, yesterday filed an application for bail pending trial at the Bulawayo High Court citing the State as a respondent.

In their bail statement, they are denying the charges, arguing that there was no evidence linking them to the offence.

“There is no single witness who can say for certain that any one of the applicants robbed them. The recovered firearm and other properties were found from a room used by more than one person,” argued the applicants’ lawyers.

The four men argued that the State had no compelling reasons warranting their continued detention pending trial.

“It is both in the interest of justice and administration of sound criminal justice system that the applicants be set at liberty pending trial as there are no compelling reasons to warrant their continued detention,” said the lawyers.

The accused persons offered to pay $500 bail each and to report twice a week at Bulawayo Central Police Station as part of the bail conditions.

They also offered to continue residing at their given addresses and not interfere with State witnesses until the matter is finalised. 

The State is yet to respond to the application.

According to court papers, it was stated that between May 1 and October 28 in 2018, Nawire and Ncube stole over US$27 000, R30 000 and $16 000 from four complainants in the city.

On March 11 last year, Nawire, Ncube and Masawi allegedly approached two money changers Mr Phathisani Moyo (25) and Mr Taurai Tinarwo (30) in Emakhandeni suburb.

Mr Moyo got into the house with a satchel that had R25 000, US$1 000 and $1 000 while his colleague Mr Tinarwo remained outside guarding the car.

The trio allegedly approached him and one of them was wearing a police uniform and carrying a pistol.

They told him that he was under arrest for illegal changing of money.

Some of the accused persons rushed into the house and demanded the bag that Mr Moyo was carrying.

They then allegedly handcuffed Mr Moyo and Mr Tinarwo and took their money and cellphones.

The armed robbers allegedly forced the two into Mr Moyo’s car, a Toyota Harrier and drove towards Emganwini where they dumped them before driving back to the central business district. They dumped the vehicle along 12th Avenue.

On March 30 at around 10PM, Mr Michael Chigutiswa was on his way home when he was allegedly approached by Nawire, Ncube and Masawi.

The men allegedly attacked him when he was near the gate while they were armed with pistols.

They allegedly took away his bag which had $7 000, R3 000, 2 000 pula and US$3 000.

Sometime in October last year, the gang allegedly confronted Mr Brighton Tazvivinga in Emakhandeni suburb purporting to be police officers who intended to change foreign currency into local money.

They allegedly went into the house in the company of another accused person still at large who remained by the gate to stand guard. They allegedly threatened to shoot Mr Tazvivinga and other occupants with a pistol before robbing them of R6 000, US$570, $5 000 and cellphones.

During the same month, Ncube, Nawire and Masawi allegedly went to Ms Sikhethiwe Ndlovu’s homestead in Matopo armed with a pistol, knife and handcuffs.

They found her in the company of her two daughters and they took turns to assault them while at the same time demanding money.

They allegedly forced Ms Ndlovu into her bedroom where they ordered her to unpack her clothes from the wardrobe during which US$950 fell from the clothes and they allegedly took it and left.

On November 13 at around 11AM, Nawire and Ncube misrepresented themselves to Mr Audriane Ndebele as police detectives and he tipped them about one Anele Ndlovu who was being investigated for robbery, which occurred at her employer’s hardware business.

Nawire and Ncube allegedly promised to investigate the matter. On the same day at around 8PM, Nawire and his accomplices allegedly proceeded to Anele Ndlovu’s house in Nkulumane where they found three family members and they introduced themselves as police officers and requested to see the owner of the house, who was, however, not around.

They allegedly ordered the three occupants to sit down before they searched the house and went away with R1 500, US$202, five cellphones and a laptop.

Investigations were conducted leading to the arrest of the four men.

They were positively identified by the victims during an identification parade at Bulawayo Central Police station.-@mashnets