Michael Mashiri
Washington Chikava, 45, of UZ Stands Glaudina, appeared before magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa at the Harare Magistrates' Courts charged with robbery. He was part of a gang that hit Newcastle Group of Schools, failed to break into the safe and only managed to get a total of US$184 in addition to mobile phone handsets and car batteries.
The first complainant is Courage Giwa, 25. Second complainant is Lovemore Sigudu, 49. The third complainant is Cosmas Marodza, 52.
The fourth complainant is Johannes Mikalakala, 57, and the fifth complainant is Japhet Mariri, 39. All the complainants are employees of Newcastle Group of Schools.
The court alleges that on May 8,2024, at around 0100 hours, Chikava and his accomplices who are already on remand for this case went to the complainants' workplace armed with unidentified pistols, knives and entered the premises through the gate which was open.
Whilst in the premises, they banged open Giwa's bedroom and one of the accused produced a pistol which he pointed at him.
They tied his legs with an electric cable and his hands with shoe laces. They left one of them guarding the complainant in his room.
The other accused went to the parked school buses where they took Siduku, Marodza, Mikalakala and Mariri, forced marched them to Giwa's room where they tied their hands and legs with shoe laces.
The accused left two others guarding the complainants as the rest went to the school administration block.
They allegedly fired two shots as they went to the Junior School administration block. They used iron bars to force the main door open and entered.
While inside, they broke the keys at the door that leads to the offices, broke into several offices, ransacked, but did not steal anything.
They broke open another room and tried to break the safe open but they failed.
The accused vandalised the whole ceiling in the block and then went to the Senior School and broke into the strong room, ransacked and stole nothing.
They returned to the room where the complainants were and stole 3 x 12 volts car batteries.
They allegedly searched Sigudu and stole US$37 and a Techno phone.
They searched Marodza and stole US$46, a Vivo phone, a power bank and an Oppo phone. They searched Mikalakala and stole US$40 and an Oppo phone.
Mariri was also searched and they stole US$61 and a Samsung Galaxy A7 phone before they disappeared from the premises.
As a result, the value which was stolen was US$2 500.
The accused will appear in court on August 8, 2024.
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