Armed Robber Jailed Five Years

Everisto Zhuwao

The Beitbridge Magistrates’ Court has sentenced 24-year-old Thabiso Ngwenya to an effective five years in prison following a violent robbery that occurred earlier this year.

The conviction stems from an incident on January 11, 2026, in which a woman was targeted while walking near the Chicago Bus Terminus.

The court heard that the victim, a 40-year-old woman, was approached by Ngwenya at approximately 4:00 PM. The offender emerged from a nearby bush and demanded her mobile phone, falsely claiming it belonged to him. When the woman refused and placed the phone in her handbag, Ngwenya escalated the confrontation by grabbing the bag.

He then produced an Okapi knife and threatened to stab her, forcing her to surrender her valuables.

Ngwenya fled the scene with two mobile phones a Nokia A36 and a Huawei Honor X6 along with ZAR 2,000 and US$300 in cash. The total value of the stolen items was estimated at ZAR 8,700, and none of the property was recovered.

The offender was later apprehended in connection with a separate robbery in Juta Village, where the victim positively identified him.

The magistrate handed down a 60-month sentence, with an additional two months suspended on condition that he pays restitution.