40 YEARS FOR ARMED ROBBER

…WAS FACING 22 ROBBERY COUNTS

A 25 year-old notorious armed robber behind a spate of robberies in the Midlands Province was last Friday slapped with a 40 year jail term.

Kenneth Ndlovu of Dosert resettlement area in Shurugwi was arrested in Zvishavane in February following a tip-off from the public when he was spotted in possession of a P1 pistol while drinking beer at a local bar.

The Gweru Law Courts

Senior prosecutor Emmanuel Matose told the court that during the period extending from June last year to February this year, Ndlovu and his accomplices, Jameson Malunga, Brilliant Mabwe and Cosmas Sayi robbed shops, supermarkets, clinics and pharmacies.

The gang stole four cars in Gweru after pouncing on taxi drivers and used them as getaway cars before dumping them. They got away with money and property valued at US$25 619 .

Gweru Regional magistrate Morgan Nemadire initially handed Ndlovu  with 84 years for the 23 counts of armed robbery plus one of posession of unlicensed arm, but made sentences on other charges to run concurrently.

He was arrested in Zvishavane after members of the public noticed that he was in possession of a P1 pistol during a beer drink at a local bar in Mandava. The patrons alerted police on patrol who then followed the suspect to a local restaurant where he had an altercation with a security guard and they arrested him.

“It was later discovered that the pistol was stolen from Nembudziya Police Station in 2009. It is suspected that the accused was behind 23 armed robbery cases in the province. His three accomplices are still at large,” The police were quoted as saying.