Four Men Face Justice in Blue Circle Bus Robbery, One Sentenced to 84 Years
By Staff Reporter
Four men appeared before the Chiredzi Magistrates’ Court in connection with the audacious robbery of a Blue Circle bus that took place in July this year.
The suspects, Ashton Siziva (26), Talent Mlaudzi (20), Saul Dadirai (23), and Pheneas Shumba (25), are accused of collaborating with Elphase Mugudubudze, who is still at large, to commit the crime.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority, on July 17, the group allegedly set their plan into motion by traveling from Beitbridge to Harare, where they boarded a Blue Circle bus bound for Beitbridge.
They left Mugudubudze behind at Vilivili bus stop, where he would later join the operation.
In the early hours of July 18, at around 4 a.m., the plan unfolded. Shumba, the fourth accused, approached the bus conductor, requesting to disembark at Vilivili.
As the bus stopped, Mugudubudze boarded the bus, brandishing a C75 9mm pistol. The other accused men produced okapi knives and threatened passengers.
The attackers ordered the driver to steer the bus to a secluded location where they cut the engine and turned off the lights. The terrified passengers were then forced to surrender their belongings as the men ransacked the bus. The assailants fled into the night, leaving the passengers and crew traumatized.
The crime was swiftly reported to authorities, and an investigation led to the arrest of the quartet. Mugudubudze remains at large.
During the court hearing, Ashton Siziva, the first accused, pleaded guilty to 37 counts of robbery. In a stern ruling, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison for each of the first six counts and an additional 12 years for counts 7 to 37, which will run concurrently. In total, Siziva will serve an effective 84 years behind bars.
The other three accused—Mlaudzi, Dadirai, and Shumba—are set to appear in court again on September 11, 2024, as their trial continues.
