Law enforcement officials successfully apprehended a 35-year-old armed robber after tracing one of the victim’s Samsung cellphones, which had been stolen during the robbery, utilizing call logs provided by Econet Wireless.

As confirmed by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Tafadzwa Kamandiyapa, a resident of Epworth Suburb in Harare, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison following a guilty verdict for robbery issued by the Chinhoyi Magistrates’ Court.

According to court records, on April 16, 2022, around 01:30 AM, Kamandiyapa (35), along with McDonald Chaka and five other accomplices who remain at large, forcibly entered the victim’s residence at Shipton Farm in Banket.

The perpetrators utilized a bolt cutter to remove the burglar bars from the dining room window before assaulting the victim with a small axe, threatening him with firearms to comply with their demands.

During the ordeal, the robbers coerced the victim into surrendering US$1,195 in cash, along with other valuable items. Subsequently, the assailants looted the property, loading it onto their 3-tonne truck, and absconded with two Samsung cellphones belonging to the victim, as well as the keys to his Ford Ranger vehicle.

Prompt police action led to the recovery of the victim’s vehicle later that day, abandoned along the Mapinga-Trelawney road, with the small axe used in the assault found inside.

Utilizing call logs provided by Econet Wireless, law enforcement authorities tracked down one of the victim’s Samsung cellphones, leading to its retrieval from McDonald Chaka on January 15, 2024. Further investigations resulted in the recovery of additional stolen items, including two laptops and a generator, ultimately leading to Kamandiyapa’s arrest.

Kamandiyapa has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, with five years suspended.