FAITH NDOU
Gutu- A 24-year-old man from Gutu has been sentenced to 12 years in prison by Magistrate Innocent Bepura after being convicted of a violent armed robbery that occurred in Masvingo City in November last year.
The court heard that Tafadzwa Vangana, who resides in Chipara Village under Chief Makore, teamed up with two accomplices who are still at large to target motorist Joseph Chabata in the early hours of November 22, 2025.
The trio approached Chabata at San Siro Night Club where he was seated in his vehicle with his girlfriend.
Pretending to hire the car, Vangana suddenly turned violent, attacking Chabata with a machete before forcing his way into the vehicle.
Vangana then ordered the complainant to drive for about a kilometre before forcing him and his girlfriend to disembark near Heroes Acre. The suspects drove off with the vehicle towards Victoria Range.
The stolen car, a blue Honda Fit was later recovered in Zvishavane following police investigations, leading to Vangana’s arrest on December 19, 2025. A machete used in the attack was also recovered and positively identified.
The stolen property was valued at US$3 820, with only a Samsung A04 cellphone worth US$120 not recovered.
Appearing before the Masvingo Magistrates Court, Vangana was found guilty of robbery as defined in Section 126 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act.
Magistrate Innocent Bepura sentenced him to 12 years imprisonment.
Nixon Chamisa was representing the State.
