News / National
Soldier arrested for taxi hijack
14 Jun 2016 at 06:42hrs | Views
A SOLDIER and his friend have been arrested for teaming up and allegedly robbing a Bulawayo taxi driver of his car and $80 after hiring him on the pretext that they wanted to be taken to Belmont industrial area.
Zvikomborero Sigudu, 25, a member of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) and Knowledge Danda, 21, both of Emganwini suburb, allegedly hired Tichaona Matekenya under the guise that they wanted to be ferried to the Cold Storage Company (CSC) premises in Belmont.
Sigudu and Danda yesterday appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Charity Maphosa facing charges of robbery (carjacking) and were remanded in custody to Thursday for trial.
Prosecuting, Taurai Hondoyemoto said on May 5 this year, Matekenya parked his car, a Honda Fit, outside a city hotel when Sigudu and Danda approached him. They offered to pay him $4 for the trip.
Matekenya agreed and drove the two men to Belmont. The court heard that along the way, one of the accused asked Matekenya to stop the car so that he could relieve himself.
"When the complainant stopped the car, one of the accused disembarked and disappeared into the bush leaving behind his accomplice and the taxi driver," said Hondoyemoto.
The court heard that on his return, he held the complainant by his neck before his accomplice joined in and they pushed the taxi driver to the back seat.
"They searched the complainant and took a cellphone before one of the accused persons took over the steering wheel and drove towards Emganwini while the other, who was carrying a knife, covered Matekenya's face with a jacket and threatened to stab him if he screamed," said Hondoyemoto.
On arrival in Emganwini suburb, the two men searched the complainant's car and found $80 which was stashed under the sun visor which they took and fled from the scene. Matekenya made a police report and Sigudu was arrested a few days later at his workplace in Harare.
He allegedly implicated Danda. The cellphone was recovered on May 13 from a woman who had bought it.
Zvikomborero Sigudu, 25, a member of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) and Knowledge Danda, 21, both of Emganwini suburb, allegedly hired Tichaona Matekenya under the guise that they wanted to be ferried to the Cold Storage Company (CSC) premises in Belmont.
Sigudu and Danda yesterday appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Charity Maphosa facing charges of robbery (carjacking) and were remanded in custody to Thursday for trial.
Prosecuting, Taurai Hondoyemoto said on May 5 this year, Matekenya parked his car, a Honda Fit, outside a city hotel when Sigudu and Danda approached him. They offered to pay him $4 for the trip.
Matekenya agreed and drove the two men to Belmont. The court heard that along the way, one of the accused asked Matekenya to stop the car so that he could relieve himself.
"When the complainant stopped the car, one of the accused disembarked and disappeared into the bush leaving behind his accomplice and the taxi driver," said Hondoyemoto.
The court heard that on his return, he held the complainant by his neck before his accomplice joined in and they pushed the taxi driver to the back seat.
"They searched the complainant and took a cellphone before one of the accused persons took over the steering wheel and drove towards Emganwini while the other, who was carrying a knife, covered Matekenya's face with a jacket and threatened to stab him if he screamed," said Hondoyemoto.
On arrival in Emganwini suburb, the two men searched the complainant's car and found $80 which was stashed under the sun visor which they took and fled from the scene. Matekenya made a police report and Sigudu was arrested a few days later at his workplace in Harare.
He allegedly implicated Danda. The cellphone was recovered on May 13 from a woman who had bought it.
Source - chronicle
