TWO men who hijacked a taxi after threatening to stab the driver with a knife and robbed him of $25, a cellphone and pair of shoes before dumping him, were yesterday sentenced to an effective six years and four years respectively.
SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER
Frankleen Banda (27) and Lucky Dube (19) both of Njube in Bulawayo pleaded guilty to robbery and carjacking when they appeared before Bulawayo Regional Court magistrate Mark Dzira.
Banda was sentenced to nine years, but three years were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
Dube was given seven years, but three years were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
In sentencing them, Dzira said he considered that they all pleaded guilty to the charge and that they connived to rob the taxi driver and that taxi robberies were on the rise.
“There is no doubt that taxi drivers are in danger posed by people like you,” he said.
“These robberies are committed at night and at dawn because when one is left by a bus, he or she hires a taxi to take him or her home.
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“Some leave town late at night and kombis would no longer be pirating, so they hire taxies.
“This service is now under threat from people like you. You planned this crime and therefore you have to be jailed.”
Prosecutor Tinashe Dzipe told the court that on May 18 at around 3am, Thomas Fambai (41) of Tshabalala parked his taxi in front of Grills Restaurant in the city centre and was approached by Banda, Dube and another man who alighted before the robbery.
The three hired Fambai to take them to Sizinda.
Fambai charged them $5 which they agreed to. He dropped one man at Pumula Gardens in Sizinda and proceeded with Banda and Dube.
When they were at the junction of Imhlotshana and Didinhlandu roads, the two produced a knife and threatened to stab Fambai.
They demanded money before robbing him of $25, a Nokia C3 cellphone and the shoes he was wearing.
The two ordered the driver out of the car and drove off.
They went to Cowdry Park where they picked their cousin Roderick Msimanga and went to a shebeen to drink beer.
While at the shebeen, Banda bought some beer from Buhlebenkosi Dube, whom he gave his plastic national identity card as surety that he would bring the empties as they were drinking in the car they had stolen.
They then drove away after returning the beer empties and left. They were then involved in an accident after ramming into a durawall of a house belonging to Bukekile Masuku.
The robbers gave her car keys and promised to return to fix both the vehicle and precast wall, but never showed up. A report was then made to the police and Banda was arrested on July 18. He implicated Dube who was also arrested.
