The 12 armed robbers, who were last week convicted of trying to steal gold from vehicles transporting the mineral from Ayrshire Mine in Banket two years ago, were yesterday slapped with 62-year jail terms each by Harare regional magistrate, Hosea Mujaya.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
The gang was nabbed following a foiled robbery attempt, after it ambushed security vehicles transporting 6,5kg of gold from the mine to Fidelity Printers in Harare.
The convicts — Simbarashe Tavengwa, Ngonidzashe Mutiba, Tinashe Chikara, Titus Chatukuta, Ray Shangare, Wilson Kanetsa, Mgcini Ramachela, Khumbulani Ncube, Rodwell Vanhukwavo, Charles Nyandoro, Tinashe Matinyenya and Takafa Dzumbunu — were all convicted on eight counts of robbery.
Mujaya suspended 10 years for Mutiba, Chatukuta, Shangare, Kanetsa, Ramachela, Ncube, Vanhukwavo and Dzumbunu, who were considered first offenders by the State.
But Tavengwa, who had two previous convictions, had his four-year suspended jail term brought into effect and will now serve 66 years, while Chikara, a former senior policeman, had eight years suspended from his sentence.
The court also suspended five years for Matinyenya after he was also considered to have had a previous conviction on an armed robbery matter.
Nyandoro, who started his criminal enterprise in 1979, will serve the effective sentence after receiving no suspension.
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Mujaya also ruled that the recovered AK-47 assault rifle and several other pistols would be forfeited to the State, leaving only two pistols, which would be returned to their owners, as they were stolen by the gang during the commission of the crimes.
Chikara’s two vehicles, a Toyota Harrier and Mercedes-Benz, were also forfeited to the State, while his Norton farm, which was used as the gang’s hide-out, was spared.
The whole gang is now set to be transferred to the Bulawayo Magistrates’ Court, where they are expected to face another 11 counts for similar offences.
