Zvikomborero Parafini
A fresh suspect, who allegedly participated in the infamous school armed robberies around Harare, appeared in court yesterday.
Livingstone Nyikadzino of Chinhoyi, was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa.
Allegations are that on April 25, Nyikadzino and his accomplices who are at large, connived and armed themselves with two firearms and attacked a guard on duty at Lytton Council primary school in Kambuzuma.
The guard, Ngonidzashe Zvipindu, was seated in one of the classrooms and when he saw them, he ran out towards the precast wall.
The robbers chased after him and caught him as he was attempting to scale over the wall.
They assaulted him with iron bars before they dragged him to the administration block where they tied both his hands and legs with his shoelaces and covered him with a blanket.
Nyikadzino and his accomplices then broke into the headmistress’ office, opened the safe using explosives, and took cash US$268.
They ransacked the office and stole five grey HP Laptops and a C Idea smart tablet.
They allegedly broke into the bursar’s office and stole two HP laptops before they broke into the storeroom and stole a welding machine, shovel, grinder, muttock and went away leaving the guard tied up.
The guard shouted for help and was untied by the caretaker Eliah Makonde, who resides at the school cottage.
They went ahead and filed a police report.
Property worth US$3 500 was stolen and nothing was recovered.
In the second count, it is alleged that on April 30, Rindai Muuya and Factory Sinagado who are security guards at Widcombe primary school were on duty in the guard room when Nyikadzino and his accomplices pounced on them.
One of the six robbers was holding a gun while another had a metal bar.
They tied up the guards using ropes before dragging them into the corridor of the administration block where they ordered them to lie down facing down.
They left their subjects under the guard of one of the robbers and broke into the School Development Association Office and stole two laptops.
Nyikadzino and his accomplices went further and broke into the headmaster’s office where they used a grinder to break the safe and stole fuel coupons as well as cash US$2 372.
The robbers fled from the scene with property and cash valued at US$5 300 and nothing was recovered.
Nyikadzino was remanded in custody until September 26 and was advised to approach the High Court for bail considerations.