One of the armed robbers who was part of a gang that pounced on passengers aboard a Blue Circle bus on July 18, 2024, has been sentenced to 84 years in prison.
The four armed robbers, identified in court as Ashton Siziva (26), Talent Mlaudzi (20), Saul Dadirai (23), and Pheneas Shumba (25), appeared before the Chiredzi Magistrates’ Court in connection with the robbery of a Blue Circle bus that occurred on July 18, 2024.
It is the State’s case that on July 17, 2024, the accused, in collaboration with an accomplice named Elphase Mugudubudze, who is currently at large, travelled from Beitbridge to Harare. They left Mugudubudze at the Vilivili bus stop.
While in Harare, the accused boarded a Blue Circle bus at Mbudzi bus terminus for their return trip to Beitbridge.
On July 18, 2024, around 4:00 AM, the fourth accused, Pheneas Shumba, approached the bus conductor and requested to disembark at the Vilivili bus stop.
When the bus stopped, Mugudubudze entered the vehicle armed with a C75 9mm pistol, which he used to threaten the driver. Simultaneously, the other accused brandished okapi knives and threatened the passengers.
The robbers ordered the driver to take the bus to a secluded area, where they turned off the engine and lights.
They then demanded that the passengers surrender their belongings. After committing the crime, the suspects fled the scene.
The incident was reported to the police, and subsequent investigations led to the arrest of the four suspects.
During the court proceedings, Siziva, the first accused, pleaded guilty to 37 counts of robbery. He received a sentence of 12 years for each of the first six counts, followed by an additional 12 years for counts seven through thirty-seven.
The sentences for counts seven to thirty-seven will run concurrently, resulting in an effective sentence of 84 years.
Co-accused Mlaudzi, Dadirai, and Shumba are scheduled to return to court on September 11 for the continuation of their trial.
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