Notorious Seke Road robbers nabbed
THE long arm of the law last week caught up with a 47-year-old armed robber who has been terrorising motorists along Seke Road since January last year, robbing 35 people in the process.
Ancelimo Musengi of Epworth admitted to 35 counts of armed robbery when he appeared before Mbare magistrate Mr Batanai Madzingira on Thursday.
He was remanded in custody to February 7. Musengi’s alleged accomplice, Walter Mapfumo, denied the charges and was remanded in custody pending trial.
Musengi and Mapfumo’s reign of terror ended last week after they allegedly robbed a mechanic, Maurice Musiiwa, of
US$200 and a cellphone.
It is alleged that on the day in question, around 8pm, Musiiwa was driving a Mercedes-Benz C240 from Harare’s city centre to Chitungwiza along Seke Road.
He slowed down to negotiate a pothole near the Delport turnoff and Mapfumo pretended to stumble and fall in front of Musiiwa’s car, forcing him to stop, court papers say.
When Musiiwa disembarked from his car to check on what was happening, Mapfumo picked himself up and used a knife to force him to surrender all his belongings.
Musengi and Mapfumo then started searching Musiiwa and robbed him of an Itel cellphone and a wallet with US$250, it is alleged.
Police investigations led to the recovery of an Itel S23, which had been sold to Mavis Nyambala, who later led the police to Musengi, who implicated Mapfumo as his accomplice.
In another case, on January 16 this year, near the Delport turnoff, Musengi and Mapfumo used the same modus operandi and attacked Anyway Kadzambe.
They pointed a knife at him and took away a Samsung S12, HP ProBook and an Itel P40.
On October 23, 2023, at the Delport turnoff, Musengi again employed the same tactic and attacked Lovemore Munyuki.
He threatened to slit his throat to force him to surrender his Asus laptop, Samsung tablet, Samsung M32 and US$1 000.
At the same spot, on January 8, 2023, the duo reportedly played the same trick on Tawanda Mbiwa.
They smashed his car’s window and stabbed him on the right arm, before getting away with a Samsung F12 and US$200, according to court documents.
The court also heard that on December 18, 2023, at the Delport turnoff, Musengi allegedly robbed Sailas Dzimbanhete of a Lenovo laptop, Huawei Nova cellphone, Redmi Note 11 phone and US$330.
Other identified victims are Juliet Chakonza, Batsirai Manyengura, Martin Murapa, Gospel Chingwaru, Fungai Mujaji, Munyaradzi Chidhakwa, Sydney Mugabe, Allen Tatenda Masango, Batanai Nzira, Paul Julius, Charles John, Shingirai Kadenhe, Shame Mhlanga, Melody Mawarura, Blessing Mugandani, Ignitius Chipendo, Peter Chakawa, Tatenda Kandenga, Baureni Kuarai, Onismus Chaoma, Peter Sibanda, Joseph Wanyikeya and John Mutetwa.
They all lost various valuables and cash after allegedly falling victim to Musengi and Mapfumo.