TWO Victoria Falls men wore army uniforms and masks to rob a fuel service station in Botswana at gun point where they got away with cash and valuables worth a combined P20 000.
Sambulo Mbelekezela Ngwenya (34) of 1161 Chinotimba suburb in Victoria Falls and Leonard Ndebele (31) originally from Jambezi pounced on Bozazi Filling Station in Kasane on August 21.
The duo appeared before Victoria Falls magistrate Ms Rangarirai Gakanje on initial charges of armed robbery, which were altered to theft.
Ngwenya and Ndebele could not be charged with armed robbery since the crime was committed outside the country as the local court had no jurisdiction to charge them accordingly.
The two were convicted on their own pleas of guilt and were each sentenced to 24 months in jail.
However, each of them will serve 18 months after the magistrate suspended three months for five years on good behaviour and a further three months on condition they restitute $932 to the complainant and return the goods they stole.
Botswana police arrested them in the neighbouring country, where they were charged with armed robbery before being repatriated to Zimbabwe.
The prosecutor Mr Takunda Ndovorwi said: “On August 21, accused persons went to Bozazi Filling Station in Botswana wearing camouflage clothing and masks covering their faces. They found a cashier and a security guard, they pointed a gun at them and told them to lie down and asked where the money was and asked for the keys to the safe which the security guard didn’t have. They then destroyed the till and took P12 050.”
“The manager arrived a few minutes into the robbery and the duo robbed him of two cellphones at gun point,” said Mr Ndovorwi.