HARARE - Two Harare men are up for allegedly robbing a taxi driver who had offered them transport.
Paul Mambucha, 30, and Sunfall Pausiri, 24, appeared before Harare magistrate Donald Ndirowei charged with robbery of a motor vehicle.
The duo was remanded in custody to January 24.
Prosecutor Sharon Mashavira alleged that on December 20, last year, Mambucha, Pausiri and Mafaiti Mubaiwa, who is already on remand, hired Cuthbert Phiri’s taxi at Kuwadzana 2 Shopping Centre in Harare intending to go to Kuwadzana 5.
Phiri drove the three to Kuwadzana 5, and reduced speed when one of the accused persons indicated that they were a few metres away from their destination.
It is State’s case that one of accused persons who sat behind the driver’s seat grabbed Phiri by the neck while the other two pulled him to the back seat before taking control of the car.
The court heard that one of the accused persons produced a knife and poked Phiri on the shoulders while threatening to slice off his private parts.
They reportedly forced Phiri to lie on the seat before seizing $93, two cell phones before stripping him naked.
Mambucha and his accomplices then cut off seat belts of the vehicle before tying Phiri’s hands and legs to a tree. Phiri later managed to untie himself and walked out of the bush.
He reportedly found help from motorists who gave him a pair of trousers and proceeded to Kuwadzana Police Station where he filed a report.
On December 31, Phiri managed to positively identify Pausiri, who implicated Mambucha.
Mambucha and Pausiri were arrested by CID Homicide detectives in Kuwadzana 2 after a shoot-out.