Stephen Chadenga
Two Mberengwa brothers were last week sentenced to a combined 100 years in jail after committing a spate of armed robberies and rape.
Shepherd (33) and Tafadzwa (22) Hove pleaded not guilty to five counts each of rape and robbery when they appeared before Gweru regional magistrate Phathekile Msipa.
They were, however, convicted after a full trial and each sentenced to 50 years in prison.
Msipa suspended 10 years, leaving them to serve an effective 40 years each.
The siblings, who are already serving 18 years each following their recent conviction for multiple counts of unlawful entry and theft, will now stay in jail for 58 years each.
Prosecutors said from May 24 to 31 last year, Shepherd, Tafadzwa and their accomplices who are still at large armed themselves with an axe, machetes and Okapi knives and proceeded to Svita business centre in Mberengwa where they raped two women before robbing various shopkeepers of goods worth $3 276.
In another incident at Mahlamvana the trio ordered a shopkeeper, Jeep Maphosa, to surrender all his money and he gave them RTGS$80 before they went on to steal his other property.
