The Sunday News
Wilbrought Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
ONE of the two Bulawayo Polytechnic College students who were arrested for armed robbery and attempted armed robbery was sentenced to 30 years for six counts of the crime while the other will serve a 12 year jail term.
The two 21-year-old students robbed a Chicken Inn outlet and stole US$7 480 which they said they wanted to invest into the now defunct E-Creator. Learn Mumpande (21) from Entumbane, Bulawayo was sentenced to 30 years and five years were conditionally suspended. He will serve an effective sentence of 25 years while his accomplice Bezel Chirova (21) will serve 12 years.
The two last week appeared at Bulawayo Regional Court before magistrate Mr Elisha Singano facing charges of attempted armed robbery as defined in section 126 as read with section 189 and armed robbery as defined in section 126 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act Chapter 9:23.
The State case as presented by prosecutor Ms Siphiwe Mhlanga was that on 19 March 2023 around 12am at Chicken Inn food outlet located along Hillside Road at Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) the complainant Sanelisiwe Mhlanga employed by Chicken Inn closed the shop after knocking off and locked the doors and set an alarm system which is manned by Safeguard response team and handed over the keys to Richard Maranga who was the security guard on duty.
During the time when Mhlanga was waiting to be taken home, Mumpande and Chirova dressed in an attire resembling ZRP riot uniform approached Maranga who told them that they have since closed the shop.
Mumpande who was armed with a pistol and Chirova who was armed with a knife manhandled Maranga and threatened to shoot him if he showed any resistance to their instructions. They force-marched Maranga to the door and instructed him to open while Mhlanga was ordered to sit down and remain silent. The two demanded cash from the Maranga and Mhlanga threatening to shoot them if they failed to give them money.
Mhlanga showed them a wrong safe that couldn’t be opened by the keys. While they were struggling to open the safe the taxi which had been summoned by Mhlanga arrived and the accused persons fled without taking anything.
On the second count the court heard that the two, armed with a pistol and a knife proceeded to the same food outlet along Hillside Road near ZITF where they handcuffed and force-marched Obvious Mlauzi and Dylan Sibanda who were on duty into the restaurant. They used Richard Maranga’s handcuffs who was on duty as the security guard. They force-marched the three victims into the manager’s office where they ordered them to sit down threatening to shoot them.
They then tried opening the safe which was in the manager’s office but failed. They also tried to force open the safe using a hammer but also failed before demanding the company float cash which they were shown.
They opened the safe and stole cash amounting to US$6 880 and the closed circuit television digital video recorder valued at US$600 and went away. The total value stolen was US$7 480.
USD
The court was further told that on 21 August 2023 around 12am in Entumbane at Five Star Car Park, Learn Mumpande stole a silver Honda Fit after Munashe Mukarudzi the owner of the car left it at the car park.
Mumpande with the help of Ishumael Banda who is still at large went to the car park and used a key to open the car and drove away. They stole US$4 000 that was in the car and it was never recovered.
The matter was reported at Kumalo Police Station and investigations were instituted leading to the arrest of two accused persons. They voluntarily made indications at the crime scene on how they committed the offence. They also led the police to the recovery of the Retag Air Pistol which was used in the commission of the offences.
Chirova surrendered the pair of trousers resembling ZRP riot uniforms which they were wearing during the commission of the crime.
When the magistrate asked them what they wanted to do with the money, Mumpande said that they wanted to spin it on E-Creator so that it would return with interest and when he was asked what he wanted to do with the car he stole with his friend Banda who is still at large, he said that they wanted to go and rob Mukuru. The students indicated that they wanted money to fund a desired flashy lifestyle depicted by influencers on social media.
