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Target Kopje robbers sentenced to life in prison 

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Target Kopje robbers sentenced to life in prison 

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SIMBARASHE MTEMBO

MIRROR REPORTER 

MASVINGO– A four-member gang comprising a former Accounts and Customer Services manager at OK Zimbabwe, a former Mutimurefu prison officer, a fruit vendor and a former Total petrol attendant were today sentenced to life in prison for murdering Rutendo Ndega (36) of Target Kopje in Masvingo. The quartet threw Ndega into a 20-metre deep disused mine shaft.

Ndega and her husband Obvious Nhokovedzo (47) a businessman were thrown into the shaft with hands and legs tied after being robbed of money and property.

Justice Garainesu Mawadze of the High Court in Masvingo described the murder committed by Shepherd Chinhara (44), Needmore Chipoterwa (28), Kudakwashe Nyashanu (37) and Edson Donza (26) on January 14, 2021 as callous, cruel, shocking and sends shivers down one’s spine when he delivered a three-hour long judgment.

He said he was almost persuaded to give death penalty to all the four.

“The callousness and cruelty you exhibited in this matter is shocking. It sends shivers down one’s spine. One wonders why you simply did not take the property and leave the victims in their house even tied as they were. 

“I agonised whether to impose a death penalty in this matter. You are all clearly a danger to society in all respects. Indeed, the now deceased died a painful death. The reason why she lost her life is simply your greed. One wonders what has become of our society,” said Justice Mawadze.

Describing the callousness of the murder, Justice Mawadze said that it was by the grace of God that Ndega and her husband were found otherwise they could have disappeared without trace after they were thrown into the shaft.

To ensure that the couple would not be traced, the four took their phones and sent messages to their associates to the effect that they had gone to South Africa and it was therefore not necessary to look for them until they returned.

The court heard that Nyashanu who has a Degree in Business Administration was once a manager at OK and also worked as a property valuer, Chinhara is a former Prison Officer at Mutimurefu who was relieved of his duties after he assisted Nyashanu to escape from prison. Chipoterwa was a vendor at Nyika in Bikita and Dhonza was a Total petrol attendant in Harare.

The facts of the matter are that Nhokovedzo was a businessman running several retail shops and on January 14, 2021 he left his wife at home in Target Kopje and went to Zaka. While he was away the gang pounced on his wife, tied her hands, legs and blindfolded her. Nhokovedzo came back at around 3:30pm and hooted for Ndega to open the gate but she didn’t come.

Instead a man came to open the gate and pretended that he was a visitor at the cottage. Nhokovedzo entered the yard but as he walked into the house two men pounced on him from the front and the back. He was tied, blindfolded and bundled into a room separate from his wife.

The gang ransacked the house and loaded property including groceries for the shop into the couple’s Nissan Caravan Reg No. AFF 1599 and made several trips in and out of the homestead.

When it got dark the couple was bundled in the Nissan Caravan and driven up the hill to the shaft.

 Justice Mawadze said that the wife was thrown into the shaft first, probably headlong because the shaft was too narrow. Next to be thrown was Nhokovedzo who the Judge suspects was thrown legs first.

The next morning at around 9am, Jairos Marandera was walking past when he heard a distress call from inside the shaft. Nhokovedzo identified himself and explained what had happened. Jairos and Elton Jingini who was also within the vicinity then called Nhokovedzo’s driver Nicholas Sithole who brought the Fire Brigade and the Police to rescue the two.

Ladders and ropes were used to pull out the two but Ndega was already dead and according to her husband she died only a few minutes after landing at the bottom of the shaft.

“She took a few heavy breaths inside the shaft and she went quiet. I knew she was dead,” said Nhokovedzo.

Nhokovedzo suffered permanent damage to some key organs, he cannot stand for a long time, he cannot work and he has since relocated to Mvuma to avoid the trauma that comes with being in Masvingo.

After dumping the couple, the gang drove the Nissan Caravan to Harare where they stayed. A few days later, Nhokovedzo’s brother driving from the funeral of Ndega spotted his brother’s vehicle being driven along Samora Machel Avenue in Harare. He alerted Police at a roadblock and they gave chase and arrested Nyashanu after he got involved in an accident as he tried to escape. Some motorists also blocked him from escaping.

Nyashanu indicated the whereabouts of his accomplices and two were arrested in Kuwadzana Extension and the third in Bikita.

The four who are already serving 22 years for robbery tried to implicate Nyasha Sango as the culprit in the murder. However, investigating officers disputed this and said that they know that Sango is a fugitive in South Africa after he allegedly murdered Army Captain Phio Jeketera in 2017. The officers said they even know the house where Sango is staying in South Africa.

Sango’s two accomplices have since been tried and given death sentences.https://masvingomirror.com/

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