Prosecutors want harsher sentences for robbers

Peter Matika

PUBLIC prosecutors have called on the Judiciary to impose tougher penalties on armed robbers, especially those who use dangerous weapons such as machetes.

This follows the sentencing of three men from the Bubi district of Matabeleland North province who launched a reign of terror by committing a series of violent crimes that traumatized villagers.

They were sentenced to 54 months effective imprisonment.

Their convictions led prosecutors to call for tougher sentences in cases involving armed robbers, especially those who wield machetes.

The trio were originally sentenced to 96 months in prison, but 30 months of their sentences were suspended for five years on condition of good behavior. It was postponed for a further 12 months on the condition that compensation be given to his victims.

Bulawayo judge Beverly Madzikatire handed down the sentence to Charles Lunga, 30, Limukani Dube, 33, and Nyarai Mkandla, 32, who pleaded guilty to seven robberies committed in September this year. Ms Madzikatire agreed with the State’s argument that the safety of the public was a fundamental obligation of the criminal courts.

“The defendant used a machete to commit robbery and took the property of hard-working, suffering citizens. They attacked the complainants and seriously injured them. Therefore, the crime deserves a prison sentence. This will be a deterrent for other criminals,” Madzikatire said.

According to the State dossier submitted by Sehleliso Khumalo, the trio unleashed their reign of terror by robbing a bottle shop in the Bubi area on September 5.

He stated that the security of the country’s citizens is not just a need, but a right based on constitutional principles.

Khumalo emphasized that it is the duty of criminal courts to protect every crime victim. He also pointed out that the use of machetes is now very common in society and that criminals and would-be criminals should be deterred from using such dangerous weapons.

Due to the severity of the crime, a prison sentence was deemed appropriate.

He told the court that on September 23, the trio, armed with a machete, knife and iron bar, went to Shirazi Bottle Store and attacked the store owner and workers.

They took US$80, four mobile phones, a case of energy drink and a case of brandy. They then went to a store and randomly attacked people sitting outside.

They took a mobile phone and a radio speaker. On the same day, around 7 pm, they went to another shop, beat customers and demanded money from the shop owner; he also gave them US$1,390 before leaving. The next day they went to a farm and found the landlord with his family. They manhandled him and took US$15. They then attacked another house and took $20.

On September 9, the trio went to another farm and demanded cash and were given US$100, a mobile phone, three bath soaps and 16 packets of Kapenta fish. The victims reported the incident to the police and were taken into custody.