BINDURA – Four armed robbers from Rushinga have been sentenced to 21 years each in prison after robbing two school headmasters and crashing a stolen vehicle, leading to their arrest.
Mike Humbasha (28), Winston Sekerani (19), Cuthbert Madombi (20), and Kudzai Denhere were sentenced by Bindura Regional Magistrate Amos Mbobo after being convicted of violent robberies that terrorised the Rushinga community.
According to prosecutor Carson Kundiona, the gang targeted headmasters in the Rushinga area, launching their attacks on 18 July 2023.
At around 10 PM, the group broke into the homestead of Givemore Chiparaushe, a school headmaster. They found Chiparaushe’s wife and daughter at home, produced two firearms, and threatened to shoot if they raised the alarm.
The robbers tied the victims with electric cables and brutally assaulted them using booted feet, knobkerries, and wooden sticks. They also attempted to sexually assault them.
The gang ransacked the house, stealing various items including speakers, a TV set, clothes, cellphones, laptops, and handbags, before making off with Chiparaushe’s Nissan X-Trail.
The robbers then targeted the home of another school headmaster, Daniel Mwale of Magaranhewe Primary School. Breaking into his house while he and his wife were asleep, they pointed firearms at them, demanded cash, and accused Mwale of withdrawing money earlier that day at a local bank.
Mwale and his wife were also severely assaulted before the gang fled with cash and mobile phones.
Their crime spree unravelled the following day when one of the robbers was involved in a road traffic accident in Mbare while driving the stolen Nissan X-Trail. Police discovered the vehicle had been stolen after further investigation.
The suspect was also photographed wearing clothes stolen from Chiparaushe, which linked him to the robbery. The vehicle was impounded, and police apprehended the rest of the gang following investigations.
The quartet’s violent acts and blatant disregard for the law earned them the lengthy prison sentences. The court’s decision underscores the judiciary’s stance against violent crimes, especially those targeting vulnerable communities.
The case highlights the growing concerns over rural security and the need for enhanced measures to protect communities from such violent criminal activities.