41 year jail term for three robbers

Three daring armed robbers have been slapped with a 41 year jail term after  convicted on 18 counts of robbery and one of unlawful possession of a firearm.

The trio was targeting fuel stations.

They used a Berreta pistol they reportedly stole from a South African police officer at Beitbridge Border Post in 2014, a knife and an iron bar to threaten their victims to surrender cash and other valuables.

Arnold Chipato (24), Shadreck Mudenge (22) and Norman Muronzi (21) appeared before Harare regional magistrate Ms Fadzai Mtombeni.

Chipato was sentenced to 16 years behind bars before four years were suspended.

He will serve 12 years effective in jail.

Mudenge, who was sentenced to 17 years in prison, will serve 13 years after he had four years suspended.

Of the 19 counts, Muronzi was only convicted on one and was sentenced to eight years, two of which were suspended, leaving him to serve an effective six years.

According to reports, Mtombeni said despite the hardship factors that prompted the trio to commit the offences, justice had to be met.

"The accused persons are young, able-bodied men who could find legal ways of earning a living. Resorting to robbery was not the best choice as it is a very serious offence which attracts a long custodial sentence," she said.