Harare – A suspected armed robber, previously granted bail by the High Court in 2021 under mysterious circumstances, found himself back in custody after being shot during a recent robbery attempt in Harare. Gift Moffat, 39, of Glaudina Park, appeared before Harare magistrate Ruth Moyo, who convened court at Parirenyatwa Hospital where Moffat is currently receiving treatment.
Moffat was not asked to plead and has been remanded in custody until the finalisation of the matter. He is now under the guard of the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services.
Prosecutor Nomsa Kangara alleged that on June 15, Moffat and his accomplices conspired to steal from Takunda Ushe, 45, the managing director of Financial Clearing Bureau.
The gang, armed with an unidentified pistol, allegedly broke into the firm’s premises at number 24 Harvey Road and stole US$565.
One of the security guards heard the commotion and alerted Ushe, who then contacted the Safeguard Security Company Reaction Team.
Upon arriving at the scene, the Reaction Team guards witnessed Moffat and his accomplices exiting the offices through a window.
A chase ensued, and the Reaction Team managed to apprehend Moffat after he was shot.
The caretaker also caught another robber, but the suspect managed to escape after being rescued by his accomplices, who struck the caretaker with a pistol butt at the back of the head.
This is not the first time that Gift Moffat has been arrested for armed robbery. The incident has brought renewed attention to Moffat’s past and the circumstances surrounding his release on bail in 2021.
In April 2021, High Court judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi released Brian Mubaiwa, accused of robbing a Chinese national of gold worth US$50,000, on bail. At the time, Mubaiwa’s co-accused was Gift Moffat. This was despite the fact that the lower court as well as the police had vehemently denied that Moffat and Mubaiwa be granted bail, arguing that once freed, the duo would certainly flee.
However, Justice Chitapi granted Mubaiwa ZW$10,000 bail after claiming that the State did not have a strong case against the 47-year-old and his co-accused.
Mubaiwa and Moffat had been remanded in custody by the Harare Magistrates’ Courts on February 8, following their arrest for allegedly storming Zhang Guanghui’s home on 2 February 2021.
The duo, who were allegedly part of a five-member gang armed with two pistons and a pair of catapults, reportedly jumped over the precast wall surrounding the house and manhandled Zhang and five other occupants.
The gang allegedly tied Zhang up with cables and assaulted him before escaping with 600 grammes of gold as well as valuables worth US$50,000.
In delivering his judgment, Justice Chitapi said the prosecution had failed to present a strong enough case to convince him to deny Mubaiwa bail.
“In weighing the interest of justice against the right of the applicant to his personal freedom, I am inclined in favour of granting bail,” Justice Chitapi ruled.
“I do appreciate that the offence is serious. However, the circumstances of each case will determine how the seriousness of the offence is likely to impact on the risk of the applicant absconding.”
“The State case is not open and shut, if one considers the allegations made and the evidence said to be available, a conviction is not given.”
“The interest of justice will be served if bail is granted and the ensuing order is made. The applicant is granted bail. He shall deposit Z$10 000 with the Clerk of Court at the Harare, Magistrates’ Courts,” Justice Chitapi ruled at the time.
He also stated that the prosecution’s concerns that Mubaiwa would flee from justice were unfounded, as he had proven to be of fixed abode.
“The applicant does not possess any travelling documents. He is just a peasant farmer with no assets which can sustain him were he to be minded to flee the jurisdiction of the court,” Justice Chitapi said.
“He offered to report at Guruve Police Station as a check mechanism to ensure his continued availability,” Justice Chitapi added.
Moffat’s co-accused in the 2021 armed robbery case, Brian Mubaiwa, is currently at large after he, and Moffat both absconded the April 2021 bail conditions they were given.
Moffat’s recent arrest raises questions about the effectiveness of the bail system and the potential for repeat offenders to continue engaging in criminal activity. The case is likely to spark further debate about the balance between individual rights and the need to protect the public from dangerous criminals.
Follow @MyZimbabweNews
