ANDREW Masendeke, the younger brother of executed notorious robber, Edgar, was yesterday jailed for 19 years following his conviction on seven counts of robbery, unlawful entry and kidnapping.
BY Stephen Chadenga
Masendeke (21), of Mukarati village in Gutu, was convicted and sentenced on his own plea of guilty to all the charges when he appeared before regional magistrate Morgan Nemadire.
He was facing three counts of robbery, two of unlawful entry and a further two for kidnapping.
In the first and second counts, Nemadire ordered Masendeke to pay $1 200 restitution by November 30 as well as restitution of $2 667 for the sixth and seventh count.
Nemadire suspended seven years on condition of good behaviour, bringing the sentence to an effective 12 years for the offences.
Masendeke and his two accomplices, Matrimony Nyathi and Sydney Mangisi, both still at large, terrorised miners and businesspeople in Midlands and Bulawayo, getting away with more than $25 000.
The other three accomplices, Tapiwa Chimuti (29), Anyway Madala (27) and Simbarashe Machiritsa of Ascot Infill, Gweru, were recently sentenced to a combined 188 years for similar crimes.
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The court heard that on February 10 this year at around 8pm, the accused, in the company of Chimuti, went to a supermarket at Clonsilla, Gweru, where they pulled out a pistol and threatened to shoot workers and stole $1 916, which was in the safe.
They took another $532, which was on a table.
On another count and on February 19, near Kambasha business centre in Gokwe, the accused stopped Alfred Zvapera, a police officer based at Gokwe Traffic, pretending to be in need of transport.
When the complainant stopped, the accused produced a pistol and demanded cash and his belongings.
The complainant surrendered his car, a police identity card, a Lenovo cellphone and $4.
The accused kidnapped the police officer and drove the car for a distance before dumping him.
The accused used the same modus operandi to steal from other victims in Shurugwi, Chiredzi and Gweru.
