News / Local
Kwekwe police arrest machete gang leader
04 May 2021 at 01:35hrs | Views
POLICE in Kwekwe last week arrested a notorious leader of a machete gang in connection with attempted murder and murder in the Midlands city.
Cripwell Marandure (26), alias Tafadzwa of Mbizo in Kwekwe, allegedly leads a machete gang called Magrigamba, which is reportedly notorious for terrorising miners in Kadoma and Kwekwe.
According to a police memo gleaned by NewsDay, on December 22, 2020 at around 6pm, the gang had a misunderstanding with Caldon Zibayiwa (27) of village 2 Doneni in Kadoma and the now-deceased, Active Machokoto (26) also of the same village over mining rights at Cricket 3 Mine in Battlefields, Kadoma.
The group, which specialises in gang-related attacks, allegedly armed itself with spears, machetes and broken empty beer bottles, and attacked Zibayiwa all over the body, leaving his bowels exposed.
On April 1, 2021, a Kwekwe police station crack team received a radio signal from their Kadoma colleagues to be on the lookout for the accused persons.
However, the accused person's addresses were not known.
The team then embarked on a fourmonth-long intensive intelligence gathering exercise.
Their efforts paid dividend on April 28, 2021 when they received information regarding Marandure's hideout.
A day later, the crack team was assisted by a well-wisher who provided transport and successfully raided the accused persons at their Mbizo hideout at around 3am and managed to arrest Marandure and his accomplice Calvin Makopa.
The team recovered their getaway unregistered silver Honda Fit motor vehicle.
Marandure and Makopa will appear in court facing murder and attempted murder charges.
Midlands provincial police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko confirmed the incident, but said he would furnish NewsDay with finer details later.
"Let me check for fine details. I will give you as soon as I get them," he said.
Cripwell Marandure (26), alias Tafadzwa of Mbizo in Kwekwe, allegedly leads a machete gang called Magrigamba, which is reportedly notorious for terrorising miners in Kadoma and Kwekwe.
According to a police memo gleaned by NewsDay, on December 22, 2020 at around 6pm, the gang had a misunderstanding with Caldon Zibayiwa (27) of village 2 Doneni in Kadoma and the now-deceased, Active Machokoto (26) also of the same village over mining rights at Cricket 3 Mine in Battlefields, Kadoma.
The group, which specialises in gang-related attacks, allegedly armed itself with spears, machetes and broken empty beer bottles, and attacked Zibayiwa all over the body, leaving his bowels exposed.
On April 1, 2021, a Kwekwe police station crack team received a radio signal from their Kadoma colleagues to be on the lookout for the accused persons.
However, the accused person's addresses were not known.
Their efforts paid dividend on April 28, 2021 when they received information regarding Marandure's hideout.
A day later, the crack team was assisted by a well-wisher who provided transport and successfully raided the accused persons at their Mbizo hideout at around 3am and managed to arrest Marandure and his accomplice Calvin Makopa.
The team recovered their getaway unregistered silver Honda Fit motor vehicle.
Marandure and Makopa will appear in court facing murder and attempted murder charges.
Midlands provincial police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko confirmed the incident, but said he would furnish NewsDay with finer details later.
"Let me check for fine details. I will give you as soon as I get them," he said.
Source - newsday
