HARARE – Luke Zinyengere, the notorious armed robber who made headlines last year for his alleged involvement in the audacious US$720,000 heist at Quest Financial Services and his subsequent daring escape from lawful custody, has been sentenced to 22 years imprisonment.
Rwodzi sentenced Zinyengere to 10 years for escaping from jail and an additional 12 years for armed robbery, a charge stemming from the hijacking of a vehicle to aid his escape. The sentence comes after Zinyengere escaped from custody last month with his accomplice Tafadzwa Marondera. Marondera has already been sentenced to 10 years in jail by magistrate Fadzai Mthombeni for his role in the escape.
Marondera, speaking before regional magistrate Fadzai Mthombeni, asserted that prison officer Donald Mudzinga was not involved in their escape plan, claiming it was entirely their own initiative.
The State alleges that sometime early this month, the accused person and another inmate facing similar charges applied for bail at the High Court and it was dismissed.
“The accused person looked for an option to escape from prison. In pursuance to their plan, Marondera and Zinyengere approached prison officer Madzinga whom they usually interface with and shared with him their plan in which they needed his assistance to smuggle in for them into Harare Remand Prison,” the State alleges.
The court heard that Zinyengere’s younger brother, Tinotenda, then allegedly brought a revolver concealed in a bowl of rice, which Zinyengere accessed and kept in their cell.
The stolen vehicle was later found abandoned along Kaguvi Street, where Zinyengere reportedly nearly crashed into a spare parts shop before fleeing on foot.
Police managed to recover fingerprints from the vehicle. On the following Monday, acting on a tip-off that Zinyengere had returned from Mutare and was attempting to hire a car at the George Bus stop in Ruwa, they tracked and arrested him.
Rwodzi, in handing down the sentence, emphasised the severity of Zinyengere’s actions, stating that “this was a well-planned escape which was executed well.” She highlighted the meticulous planning and sophistication involved in the crime, noting that the circumstances of the two offences carried a maximum sentence.
“The crime was committed in a well-planned and sophisticated manner. The circumstances of the two offences carry a maximum sentence. The only mitigating factor is the accused is a family man and is a first-time offender, but he started on a deep end,” she said.
Rwodzi acknowledged that Zinyengere was a first-time offender and a family man but stressed that his actions had traumatised many people, including court officials, members of the public, and the owner of the hijacked vehicle.
“The plan was executed in a movie style, and it traumatised a lot of people including court officials. He also traumatised the innocent, the general public who were doing their business and the owner of the car whom he robbed,” she stated.
Rwodzi further emphasised the need to protect society and the fact that escaping from lawful custody indicates a lack of potential for rehabilitation in the near future.
“The original crime that he is facing should be considered and in this case, there are several cases of armed robbery. I will settle for the highest penalty. Escaping from lawful custody shows that you cannot be rehabilitated in the near future. Society must be protected, and jailbreak is not a kid’s game,” she ruled.
Before the sentence was handed down, Zinyengere pleaded with the court for leniency, citing his status as a first-time offender and the sole breadwinner for his family. Quizzed why he escaped from jail, he said he wanted to go to Mozambique to check on his cell phone business.
“I wanted to go and check on my business in Mozambique because I had delivered some phones and as of now, I’m not sure how it is going. For stealing the vehicle, it was my means of transportation to escape from lawful custody,” he explained.
“I’m very sorry my family is struggling, they have no food and my siblings whom I was taking care of are also struggling because I was the sole breadwinner, I apologise to Tinashe Chiyamuro for robbing him of his motor vehicle,” he pleaded with the court.
The state was represented by Loveit Muringwa.
Zinyengere’s criminal escapades first came to light last year when he and several others were apprehended in connection with the audacious US$720,000 heist at Quest Financial Services in Belgravia, Harare.
According to ZRP national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, Brighton Chikukwa (28), Silence Matambo (29), Washington Mangwanda (23), Liberty Mukanganise (31), Tafadzwa Richard Marondera (25) and Luke Zinyengere (28) were arrested in connection with the robbery.
The stolen loot included US$720,676.00, ZAR 10,500.00 and Euro 120.00 cash, as well as a 7.65 mm CZ Vzor pistol and three laptops.
Following their arrest, Tafadzwa Richard Marondera and Luke Zinyengere led detectives to the recovery of US$ 50,600.00 in cash. It was established that Tafadzwa Richard Marondera had received US$35,000 as his share of the loot, whilst Luke Zinyengere was given US$25,000.00.
The detectives also recovered a Mark X vehicle, registration number AFR 7059, which Luke Zinyengere had bought for US$11,000.00, an iPhone 14 Pro Max bought for US$ 1,300.00, and an iPhone 15 Pro Max bought for US$1,500.00, allegedly using the proceeds from the robbery.
Adding to the intrigue, three other individuals accused of assisting Zinyengere and Marondera’s escape also appeared in court. Spelile Zinyengere, Obey Rwaendepi, and Tinotenda Zinyengere were each granted US$200 bail by Magistrate Isheunesu Matova.
The State alleges that sometime early this month, the accused person and another inmate facing similar charges applied for bail at the High Court and it was dismissed.
“The accused person looked for an option to escape from prison. In pursuance to their plan, Marondera and Zinyengere approached prison officer Madzinga whom they usually interface with and shared with him their plan in which they needed his assistance to smuggle in for them into Harare Remand Prison,” the State alleges.
“This resultantly led to Zinyengere’s young brother, Tinotenda to bring the revolver concealed in a bowl of rice which the accused accessed and kept in their cell. On 21 March 2025, the accused hatched a plan to escape from the lawful custody of prison officials using the revolver which they kept in their prison cell. Accused took the revolver, hid it in the pants and went to Harare magistrate court where he appeared in Court 12 together with his accomplice.
“As the accused persons were being escorted back into the prison truck in order to be taken back to Harare Remand Prison, accused and his accomplice sprang up, produced the revolver, threatened prison officers and ran away towards Mother Patrick Road where they scaled over the court’s palisade fencing. Shots were fired from both sides and during the chase, Marondera was tripped down by a prison office; that is how he got arrested,” the State further alleges.
Two security guards who were on duty at Quest Financial Services during the robbery have already been sentenced to 48 months in jail each for picking up some of the cash dropped by the robbers as they fled and failing to surrender it into evidence.
In June last year, Zinyengere and Marondera were back in the dock, facing fresh charges of robbing an iPhone cell phone dealer. The pair allegedly robbed Tinashe Kelvin Leon Chikove, a second-hand cell phone dealer at Ximex Mall, Harare, at gunpoint, stealing a range of iPhone models.
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