Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. A LOCAL magistrate has condemned to 52 years in prison a Karoi man who had embarked on a spree of committing heinous crimes ranging from rape, robbery, attempted murder, unlawful entry and stock theft.
Bright Zaranyika (23) alias Svosve was facing 33 counts and pleaded guilty to 31 of them when he appeared before Magistrate Jessie Kufa at Karoi Regional Court, last week.
The state then applied for the separation of two counts that Zaranyika denied, which will be dealt with soon.
Following the accused person’s conviction, prosecutor Wadzanai Madzorera pleaded with the court for a deterrent custodial sentence for the accused person, who had gone on a crime orgy and wreaked havoc in communities.
The presiding magistrate sentenced Zaranyika to a total 52 years effective to issue a stern warning to would-be offenders.
Court heard the string of crimes were perpetrated between November 28, 2022, and June 5, 2023, in Makonde, Hurungwe and Karoi.
In one of his escapades, Zaranyika, on April 2 last year, proceeded to Chiware village, Chief Chanetsa in Hurungwe and drove two oxen from Angeline Mufema’s kraal and took them to Makonde.
Prior to that, on March 7 last year, he stole three turkeys from Steven Zhuka’s fowl run at Nyafesa village.
The suspect was linked to three cases of unlawful entry into premises and theft, 14 cases of robbery, and eight involving rape, among other offences.
He was found guilty of unlawful entry into Sam Kanopereka’s premises on November 27, 2022, in which a 0.22 LR Bryno rifle was stolen in Magunje.
The accused was also convicted of another case of burglary and theft where US$2 000 cash, a gas tank and various clothing were stolen on May 11, 2023, at a homestead at Magunje growth point.
Further, Zaranyika committed rape and robbery on March 24, 2023, in a bush near Jingson bus stop along Karoi-Magunje Road, where he raped a woman before stealing $500 cash from her.
In another robbery on June 5 this year, the habitual criminal threatened Prince Paraffin with violence before stripping him of his cell phone, US$480 cash and 11 grams of gold.
On one of the attempted murder charges, the court averred on April 30 this year, the accused descended on Nyamurera village, Chief Nematombo in Hurungwe where he struck Andrew Madzviti with a machete causing serious bodily injuries.
Zaranyika’s shenanigans came to an abrupt end on June 5 following his arrest by CID Karoi detectives, who acted on a tip-off that suspect was at a bus stop at Chikuti en route to Beitbridge, where he wanted the skip the border into South Africa.
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