Teenage gambler jailed after snatching cell phone in violent midnight robbery
By Auther Chimbgwa
An 18-year-old Beitbridge gambler struck his victim with a chair and a bottle after snatching the latter’s cell phone while falsely accusing the latter of stealing his communication gadget, a court heard recently.
A Harare magistrate was told during trial that Washington Hlongwane forcibly took a black VIVO Y27 cell phone from the victim in a violent attack that happened around midnight on 7 May.
“On the 7th of May 2025 and in Malaxo night club, Mashavire Business Centre, Beitbridge at around 0001hrs, both the victim and the offender were at a gambling site when the offender approached the victim accusing him of stealing his cell phone.
“The offender instructed the victim to produce all his belongings as proof that he was not in possession of his cell phone and the victim complied,” the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) said on their X handle.
When his victim exposed all his possessions to prove his innocence, Hlongwane took the victim’s cell phone.
He proceeded to strike the victim with a chair on the back and with a bottle on the head when he demanded his phone back.
Police opened a case of robbery against Hlongwane who was later arrested for the offence.
The value of the stolen cell phone is ZWG2,500.
Hlongwane was convicted by a Beitbridge magistrates’ court and sentenced to six months imprisonment of which one month was suspended for five years and a further one month suspended on condition of restitution of ZWG2,500.
Hlongwane will serve an effective four months in prison.
