By Judith Nyuke
A Harare magistrate has sentenced a 27-year-old man to 60 years imprisonment for his involvement in the Marondera robbery targeting businessman Wicknell Chivhayo’s in-laws
Bigboy Nampungo, 27, pleaded guilty to six counts of armed robbery when he appeared before Harare magistrate Jesse Kufa.
Nampungo was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for each of the six counts.
The State represented by Shambadzeni Fungura proved that the complainant in the first count is Zecks Mutasharusike, 51, residing in village 3 Dorset farm, Mutukwa, Marondera and is employed as a private security guard at Alfa Omega Farm Marondera.
On 18 March 2025 at around 0100 hours, Nampungo and his accomplices some who have already appeared in court and others who are still at large hatched a plan to rob the complainant.
In pursuant of their plan, they proceeded to Alfa and Omega farm, Marondera, armed with 3 rifles, 2 pistols, 2 bolt cutters, machetes and iron bars.
Upon their arrival, they confronted the complainant, who was on night guard duty, and grabbed him from behind.
They disarmed him of his service firearm, a CBC Shortgun serial number 1035468, and further went on to steal his itel cell phone, Kgtel cell phone, and a hand held communication radio.
They tied both his hands and legs with tier cables and started assaulting him with button stick demanding to know the security set up at the premises.
They force marched him to the guard room where he was held under guard.
The total value stolen is US$1560-00, and property valued at US$30-00 was recovered.
In the second count, the complainant is Petros Mabhunu, 25, who is employed by DM security guard currently deployed at Alfa Omega farm, Marondera.
Circumstances are as above.
The complainant noticed the presence of Nampungo in their premises and confronted them to enquire their mission. On approaching them, he saw that they were wearing balaclavas, and he took to his heels, and the accused pursued and caught up with him before they used cable tiers to tie both his hands and legs. They took his button stick and torch and took him to the first complainant.
The total value stolen is US$45-00, and nothing was recovered.
In the third count, the complainant is Medic Zhakata, 32, residing at Alfa Omega Farm Marondera, where he is employed by the DM security guard doing guard duties at the same farm
The accused is as per count one above.
Circumstances are as above.
The complainant was in the guard room on duty at the farm when suddenly he was confronted by Nampungo and his accomplices who were wearing masks and dark clothes. They struck him several times with an iron bar until he fell down at the same time threatening to shoot him if he resisted their orders with the firearms they were armed with.
They tied both his hands and legs with tie cables and took him to complainant one and two, and left him under guard. They stole his cell phone and eversharp pen.
The total value stolen is US$14-00 and total value stolen is US$13-00
The complainant in the fourt count is Tinotenda Shoniwa, 24, residing at Alfa Omega Farm, Marondera.
The accused is as per count one above.
Circumstances are as above.
The complainant was asleep in her bedroom in the company of her husband when she heard unusual commotion in the house. Suddenly her bedroom door was forced open and the accused persons entered into her room armed with a half brick and a kitchen knife.
They searched the room and stole her Samsung cell phone and 2 power banks.
The total value stolen is US$360-00 and property valued at US$3 00-00 was recovered.
The complainant in the fifth count is Gerald Gara Muteke, 36, residing at Alfa Omega farm, Marondera where he is self-employed as a farmer.
The accused is as per count one above.
Circumstances are as above.
The complainant was asleep in his bedroom in the company of his wife complainant four above when he heard unusual commotion in the house. He heard the accused and his accomplices advancing towards his parents’ bedroom. He then used his cell phone light and flashed at the bottom of his bedroom door to attract them back to his room before he sat on the bed.
The complainant came and broke open his bedroom door and gained entry into the house. They demanded cash from him before they searched the bedroom and stole his cash US$18 000-00, 9mm Sarsilmaz pistol serial numbers 22BV59186, Samsung S23 Ultra cell phone and a Samsung S24 Ultra cell phone. They then demanded the complainant to take them to their safe.
The total value stolen is US$25 000-00 and property valued at US$2 500-00 was recovered.
In the last count, the complainant is Vimbai Muteke, a female adult aged 42 years residing at Alfa Omega farm, Marondera, and is self-employed.
The accused is as per count one above.
Circumstances are as above.
The complainant was asleep in her bedroom when she heard unusual commotion in the house. Later on, she heard her brother complainant number five, ordering her to open the door for him and the accused and to also give the accused their safe keys, and she complied.
The accused persons entered her room and searched her wardrobe, where they took her cash US$1 100-00 and a Samsung A35 cell phone. They force marched her and complainant number 5 to the main bedroom where she showed them the safe before he opened it for them, and they took cash US$ 53 000-00 before they went
away after one of the security guards fired gun shots outside the premises after being notified about the robbery.
On 19 March 2025, the cell phones were all recovered dumped in the farm yard.
The State further proved that on 30 March 2025, detectives picked information that the accused participated in the robbery.
A follow up was made leading to his arrest in Nyatsime and he further led detectives to the recovery of 2 heifers, a 32 inch Television, some clothes, building materials, 2 x Ceedye solar battries and an Ecco solar invertor which he bought from the cash he received as his share after the robbery.
