N Richards Wholesale robber jailed 12 years

A 31-year-old Harare man has been sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment for robbing N Richards Wholesale in Chivi of US$31,000 and R110,000.

Kenneth Mavhiza, of Damafalls Phase 2, Harare, was convicted of robbery after he and five accomplices, who are still at large, raided the wholesale at Chivi Business Centre in the early hours of 11 May 2025.

He appeared before Masvingo Provincial Magistrate Innocent Bepura on 17 September, after being arrested in Harare on 12 September.

Prosecuting, Libery Hove told the court that Mavhiza and his accomplices arrived at the premises at around 1 am armed with four pistols.

The gang confronted security guard Taurai Chikume at the entrance and force-marched him to a container cabin behind the premises. Mavhiza tied Chikume’s hands and legs using capped fuses and threatened to shoot him if he resisted.

The robbers then used an iron bar to break the padlock on the main entrance and gained entry.

Once inside, Mavhiza went to the cash office and used dynamite to blast open a Chubb safe and stole US$31,000 and R110,000. He attempted to blast open a second safe containing a further US$12,000 but failed.

Investigations later led to his arrest in Harare. The State said that after his arrest, Mavhiza led detectives to N Richards Wholesale, where he indicated how the robbery was carried out.

Nothing of the stolen money was recovered.

More: Midweek Watch