MUTARE TAXI DRIVER MURDERED BY ARMED ROBBERS

A Mutare taxi driver was shot dead on Monday afternoon by three armed robbers after he allegedly refused to comply with an order to disembark from the vehicle.

Rodgers Murimbechi (45) was shot several times in the stomach at Drenan Turn Off near Mutare Board and Paper Mills around 4:30pm and the robbers drove away in his Honda Fit vehicle registration AFF 7695.

Manicaland Acting Police Spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka confirmed the incident to Chipinge Times.

Chinyoka said Ronald Simbarashe Mazura (20), a friend of Murimbechi complied with the armed robbers’ demands and was left free.

The armed robbers are yet to be identified whilst the vehicle is yet to be recovered.

Circumstances are that the armed robbers approached Mazura and Murimbechi and offered them US$20 taxi fare to get to Muchena Business Centre. The duo agreed.

One of the armed robbers pulled out a pistol upon reaching Nyahunga Bridge and pointed it at Murimbechi who was driving.

Murimbechi was ordered to pull off the road and lie on his stomach. He complied and the robbers searched him and Mazura.

The duo was ordered back into the vehicle and to drive towards Mutare Board and Paper Mills.

Upon reaching the Drenan turn-off, one of the armed robbers ordered Murimbechi and Mazura to disembark from the vehicle and lie on the ground.

Mazura complied with the order while Murimbechi remained seated. One armed robber then shot Murimbechi several times in the stomach.

The suspects fled the scene and left Murimbechi profusely bleeding.

Mazura ran towards Mutare Board and Paper Mills to seek help and he found Murimbechi dead when he returned.

The body was taken to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital for postmortem. *_-Masvingo Mirror_*