A Bindura-based lawyer has been sentenced to an effective 15 years in prison after being found guilty of masterminding a violent robbery at a Mt Darwin home.
High Court judge Justice Pisirayi Kwenda handed down a 20-year sentence to Elatone Bonongwe on Monday, suspending five years on condition of good behaviour.
Bonongwe (57) was convicted alongside five accomplices Musa Gandi, Agnes Kunaka, Terrence Musingwimi, Justin James and Tafadzwa Obrey Chipashu for planning and carrying out the October 2023 attack.
The court heard that the group, armed with an AK-47 rifle, a bayonet and iron rods targeted the home of Emson Chitsungo, a Pfura Rural District Council engineer.
They assaulted him before stealing cash and electronic goods worth about US$30 000.
Chitsungo sustained a broken arm and injuries to his feet during the robbery.
The court found that Bonongwe had identified the victim’s home and directed the operation.
Judge Kwenda ruled that his role as a legal professional worsened the offence citing an abuse of trust in handing down the sentence.
Aileen3035 / April 14, 2026
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