Amid soaring crime, Prosecutors call for harsher penalties
As Zimbabwe grapples with soaring armed robbery rates, can harsher sentences provide the solution that prosecutors and citizens are desperately seeking?.
In response to the surge in violent robberies, prosecutors are pushing for stronger penalties to deter criminals wielding machetes, guns and other lethal weapons that have become all too common in Zimbabwe’s crime landscape.
This comes after three Bubi District men received 54-months prison sentences for a string of armed robberies and machete-wielding assaults that spread fear in Matabeleland North Province.
The trio’s guilty verdict has prompted public prosecutors to push for stiffer penalties in machete-related armed robberies, seeking to deter would-be offenders.
The accused persons were sentenced to 96 months in prison,with 30 months suspended for five years on condition of good behavior. An additional 12 months were suspended, contingent upon restitution to their victims.
Bulawayo Magistrate Beverly Madzikatire handed down a stiff sentence to three men who terrorized the city with a string of seven robberies in September. Charles Lunga (30), Limukani Dube (33) and Nyarai Mkandla (32) pleaded guilty, with Madzikatire emphasizing the courts’ paramount responsibility to safeguard the public.
“Given the accused’s machete-wielding robbery and assault on innocent citizens, imprisonment is warranted. This sentence will serve as a warning to potential offenders,” said Madzikatire.
The State led by Sehleliso Khumalo, alleges that on September 5, 2024, three individuals committed a brutal armed robbery at a bottle store in Bubi District using machetes.
Khumalo stressed that citizen safety is a fundamental right protected by the Constitution rather than just a basic necessity.
He underscored the duty of criminal courts to protect victims of crime warning of a growing machete violence epidemic and emphasizing the necessity for robust deterrents to curb this dangerous trend.
He further testified that on September 23, the same trio, armed with machetes, a knife, and an iron bar, launched another brutal attack at Shirazi Bottle Store, targeting the owner and employees.
The assailants made off with $80, four cellphones, a crate of energy drinks and a crate of brandy.
Afterwards, they proceeded to a nearby shop where they senselessly attacked individuals seated outside.
The robbers made off with a cellphone and a radio speaker.
On the same day, around 7 pm, the assailants targeted another shop, assaulting patrons and demanding money from the owner who handed over $1 390 before they fled.
The next day, they descended upon a homestead, manhandling the homeowner in front of his family and stealing $15.
In a subsequent attack, they raided another home, making off with $20.
The court heard that on September 9, the trio struck again at another homestead, demanding cash and making off with $100, a cellphone, three bars of bathing soap and 16 packets of Kapenta fish.
The victims quickly filed a report to the police, resulting in the trio’s apprehension.
