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Convicted armed robber has 15 previous convictions dating back to 1979

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HARARE regional magistrate Hosea Mujaya yesterday heard that Charles Nyandoro, one of the 12 convicted armed robbers, who attempted to rob gold-carrying vehicles from Ayrshire Mine in Banket in August 2015, is a notorious robber with 15 previous convictions dating back to 1979.

HARARE regional magistrate Hosea Mujaya yesterday heard that Charles Nyandoro, one of the 12 convicted armed robbers, who attempted to rob gold-carrying vehicles from Ayrshire Mine in Banket in August 2015, is a notorious robber with 15 previous convictions dating back to 1979.

BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE

Nyandoro and his accomplices were nabbed after they waylaid security vehicles transporting 6,5kg of gold to Fidelity Printers in Harare in a foiled robbery attempt.

The 12 were convicted last week.

Prosecutor Michael Reza told the court that besides robbery convictions, Nyandoro also served a four-year jail term for rape in 1984 and in 2006 he was jailed 12 years for armed robbery, before he was released on a presidential amnesty.

The court heard that another convict, Simbarashe Tavengwa had three previous convictions of armed robbery and murder and he was sentenced to a combined 30 years’ imprisonment.

Tavengwa was convicted on June 24, 2008 on two counts of armed robbery and was sentenced to an effective 20-year jail term.

He was sentenced to another 10-year jail term for robbery and was supposed to be released in 2038.

According to court records, it was not clear how he ended up outside prison walls to join his accomplices in the mine robbery case.

Two other convicts, Tinashe Chikara who is a former senior police officer and Ngonidzashe Mutiba, who were also convicted twice together with Tavengwa, were sentenced to eight years each.

The remaining eight other convicts, Titus Chatukuta, Ray Shangare, Wilson Kanetsa, Mgcini Ramachela, Khumbulani Ncube, Rodwell Vanhukwavo, Tinashe Matinyenya and Takafa Dzumbunu were first-time offenders and were remanded to Friday for sentencing.