MARTIN MAWAYA
MASVINGO-High Court Judge Justice Garainesu Mawadze has granted bail to four Nash 1 security guards accused of robbing Shurugwi miners of their gold ore at gun point.
Meli Sibanda (42) of Impaluli farm Shurugwi, Gladson Chigede (26) of Senga, Nehosho, Christopher Marwa (54) from Mkoba 5 and Raymond Kachana (36) of Sebanga extension in Shurugwi were granted $300 000 bail for each count.
Chigede and Marwa were charged with two counts of robberies while Kachana and Sibanda charged with one count each.
The quartet who were represented by Rashidy Parere of Mapfumo Mavese and Associates will return to court on September 14 for trial.
According to the State, on the 15th of August 2023 at 8pm along the dust road near Nash 1 Mine in Shurugwi, Sibanda, Chigede and Marwa who are security guards proceeded to put a block on the road passing through the mine armed with two shot guns.
The trio together with some accomplices who are still at large, intercepted the complainant Paul Chiyambakare’s Volvo truck registration number AGJ 2052 loaded with 20 tonnes of gold ore.
The court heard that Marwa pointed the gun to Chiyambakare and threatened him with assault if he resisted, whilst Sibanda was busy assaulting him with fists on the jaw.
It was alleged that the complainant managed to escape from the robbers.
However, Sibanda used threats of violence and escorted the truck driver Elvis Nyika, Vusimuzi Muzizi and Mike Mutanha to their mine where 20 tonnes of gold ore was offloaded before releasing them the following day.
In the second count, on the same day, Marwa, Chigede and Kachana in the company of 10 other accomplices who are still at large, robbed Nash2 mine of assets worth US$4 250-00 using three shot guns and only goods worth US$1 100 was recovered.
The complainant was represented by Abiata Mugari of Gundu, Dube and Pamacheche Legal Practitioners.
