Three men from Nyakudya village, Bindura, have been handed lengthy prison sentences for a series of violent robberies that terrorised the mining town.
Ladma Mutesa (39), Tapiwa Nyakudya (31), and Sande Saini (32) were each sentenced to 38 years imprisonment by the Bindura Magistrates Court on ten counts of robbery.
The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) detailed the harrowing events that unfolded on 21 April 2024. The three accused, along with accomplices still at large, targeted homes in Nyakudya village. Their modus operandi involved a chilling display of violence and intimidation.
“The accused persons and their accomplices who are still at large pounced on the complainant’s houses in Nyakudya Village in Bindura on 21 April 2024 armed with iron bars which they used to forcibly open the back door to gain entry into the main house where six complainants sleeping,” the NPAZ statement explained.
The gang’s brutality was evident in their treatment of the victims.
“The accused persons and their accomplices manhandled the complainants and tied their hands with bricks force wire and ordered the complainants to surrender their cellphones before they ransacked the house and took groceries, house hold goods and US$350 cash,” the NPAZ continued. The robbers’ actions were not confined to a single incident.
The following night, the gang struck again, targeting a second house in the same village.
“The following night the accused persons and their accomplices pounced on the second house in the same village and robbed three occupants of their valuables, they knocked on the door and introduced themselves as police officers after the complainants opened the door they manhandled the complainants and force marched them to the main house where they forcibly took their cellphones,” the NPAZ statement revealed.
Their deception and violence underscore the calculated nature of their crimes.
Their audacity extended beyond the confines of the village. One of the victims, who was away from home when the initial attacks occurred, was later ambushed by the gang.
“When one of the complainants who was not home when the gang arrived driving a Toyota Quantam the accused persons ambushed him and assaulted him using clenched fists, dragged him to a pigsty and tied his legs and hands to a pole before taking his cellphone and driving off in his motor vehicle,” the NPAZ reported.
This act of violence and theft highlights the gang’s disregard for human life and their willingness to employ extreme measures to achieve their objectives.
The total value of stolen property amounted to a significant US$15 450. However, thanks to the investigative efforts of law enforcement, a considerable portion of the stolen goods was recovered.
“The total value of the stolen property was US$15 450 and property valued at US$13 450 was recovered,” the NPAZ confirmed.
This recovery offers some measure of restitution for the victims, though it cannot fully compensate for the trauma they endured.
