Robbery trio jailed after armed Hello Paisa heist in Kuwadzana

 

Three men have been sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment each after blasting open a safe and robbing a Harare money-transfer agency at gunpoint.

The robbery, which took place at Hello Paisa in Kuwadzana 2 Shopping Centre, left security guards assaulted and one of them tied up.

Edson Murambidzi, 33, Takudzwa Makanha, 24, and Munyaradzi Muchero Hodzi, 30, were convicted of armed robbery and each received an effective 18-year prison sentence.

The trio carried out the robbery with accomplices who remain at large.

The court heard that on April 16, 2025, the men stormed the Hello Paisa outlet in a planned attack armed with three .38 special revolvers, iron bars and axes.

They assaulted security guards on duty, tying up one of the victims before using explosives to blast open a safe inside the financial services outlet.

The group escaped with US$8,950 in cash, a .38 special revolver and a Huawei Y6 cellphone. The total value of the stolen cash and property was US$10,000, although police later recovered property worth about US$900.

Investigations led to the arrest of Murambidzi, Makanha and Hodzi.

Detectives also recovered three .38 special revolvers and live ammunition, which forensic examinations linked to the robbery.