Two notorious armed robbers from Beitbridge have been sentenced to 40 years each in prison for terrorizing taxi drivers in the border town. The accused, Tichaona Dave (26) and Bill Tirihama (27), were convicted on four counts of robbery after they denied the charges but were found guilty based on the State’s evidence. Their accomplice, John Allan Nyoni (21), was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his involvement in one robbery case.
The robbers targeted local taxis in the newly built Khwalu suburb (SDP), hiring them and then robbing the drivers at knifepoint. The incidents occurred between December 2022 and January last year, with five different complainants falling victim to their attacks.
In the first case on December 7, 2022, the trio hired taxi driver Edgar Gutsa and proceeded to rob him of his Honda Fit vehicle, a cell phone, and R250 in cash before fleeing the scene. On December 22 of the same year, they targeted another taxi driver, Sifelani Ndlovu, stealing his cell phone and R3500 using the same modus operandi.
On January 7, 2023, they attacked Nyasha Chiwire near White Lodge along the Bulawayo road, taking his Honda Fit, cell phone, and R300. Two days later, on January 9, they threatened Mziwakhe Dube near Khwalu suburb, demanding his belongings and warning him they would shoot him if he resisted. The robbers made off with three cell phones, a subwoofer speaker, and R100.
On January 12, the accused hired taxi driver Reginald Tumbare in the same suburb and proceeded to rob him as well, threatening him with a gun and taking his Honda Fit, a cell phone, and R350.
The stolen taxi vehicles were used as getaway cars and later abandoned in secluded places in the border town. All the cases were reported to the police, leading to the arrest of the robbers in Harare in September of last year, where they were found driving one of the stolen cars.
Following the convictions, Dave and Tirihama were each sentenced to 48 years in prison, with 8 years conditionally suspended for five years, resulting in an effective sentence of 40 years. Nyoni received a 12-year prison sentence for his involvement in one robbery case.
The prosecution, led by Mr Willbrought Muleya and Miss Tsitsi Mutukwa, presented the State’s evidence during the trial, which led to the successful conviction of the accused. The severe sentences handed down by Beitbridge Regional Magistrate, Mr Innocent Bepura, reflect the seriousness of their crimes and send a strong message against such acts of violence and robbery in the communities.
