Four-armed robbers have been convicted of six counts of armed robbery.
This follows a series of armed robberies around Harare CBD.
Simbarashe Chambati (23), Thomas Marange (25), Tinashe Makara (31), and Amos Makara (43) were arrested in June 2025, last year.
The robbers had unleashed a reign of terror on Harare residents through a series of armed robberies.
The quartet terrorised residents and businesses across Harare by targeting wholesale shops, schools, and other premises.
Their modus operandi involved attacking unsuspecting security guards and occupants before breaking into premises and stealing cash and other valuables at gunpoint.
In some cases, they would use explosives to blast open safes before getting away with cash and other valuables.
Investigations into the robbery cases were instituted, and on June 21 2025, detectives from CID Homicide Harare received information linking Simbarashe Chambati to the commission of the robberies.
Follow-ups were made, leading to his arrest.
Simbarashe Chambati implicated his accomplices, resulting in their subsequent arrest.
A 38 special Taurus revolver loaded with 3 spent cartridges, 8 x thunder T90 explosives, 2 x caped fuses, 6 x detonator cables, a bolt cutter, an okapi knife, 2 hard drives, one pair of gloves and a black masked wool hat were recovered following the arrest of the quartet.
In a statement, Criminal Investigation Department, Detective Inspector, Provincial Community Relations Liaison Officer, Rachel Muteweri confirmed the incident.
“Further investigations revealed that the recovered firearm was stolen by means of armed robbery on 22 March 2025 where they manhandled a security guard before disarming him of his service pistol.
“They proceeded to blast open a safe before stealing US$1 620-00.
“In one of the cases that occurred on 5 April 2025, the accused persons, armed with iron bars and a pistol, attacked a wholesale shop before getting away with property worth US$6110-00.
“On 13 May 2025 around 0015 hours, the quartet struck again at another wholesale shop and got away with USD$2 500-00, two laptops, and a cellphone.
“On 21 May 2025, armed with two pistols, they targeted a school and used explosives to blast open a safe, but could not find any valuables.
“They later stole a laptop valued at $600-00. The gang continued its robbing spree, and on 24 May 2025, they pounced at a wholesale shop in Hatcliffe, Harare.
“Using explosives, they blasted the cash safe and got away with US$12 491-00.
“The quartet appeared before the Harare Regional Court on 23 June 2026, where Simbarashe Chambati, Thomas Marange, Tinashe Makara were convicted and sentenced to a total of 47 years imprisonment each while Amos Makara was convicted and sentenced to 59 years’ effective jail term.
“Magistrate Mrs Feresi Chakanyuka presided over the matter, and Mrs Tariro Jani appeared for the State.”
