Blue Circle Bus Robber Jailed 84 Years After Trying To Impress Bar Lady With Stolen Money

Blue Circle Bus Robber Jailed 84 Years After Trying To Impress Bar Lady With Stolen Money

A robber’s attempt to impress a bar lady backfired spectacularly, leading to his arrest and an 84-year prison sentence.

Saul Dadirayi, 23, will now spend the next several decades behind bars after stealing $5,000 during an armed robbery on a Blue Circle Bus. Hoping to show off his ill-gotten gains, Dadirayi flashed a pistol and a bagful of money at a bar in Neshuro Business Center in Mwenezi. But instead of being impressed, the bar lady tipped off the police, leading to his swift capture just hours after the heist.

Last week, Regional Magistrate Judith Zuyu sentenced Dadirayi to 84 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to the robbery. Prosecutors said Dadirayi and his three accomplices stole a total of US$5,932, ZAR66,170, and other valuables from the bus passengers.

Dadirayi’s suspected accomplices—Talent Mlaudzi (20), Ashton Siziba (26), and Phineas Shumba (25)—all pleaded not guilty and were remanded in custody, with their trial set to continue on September 11. Another accomplice, Elphase Magugudze, remains at large.

On July 17, 2024, the group travelled to Harare, leaving Magugudze at the Vilivili Bus Stop near Rutenga. The next day, the four boarded a Blue Circle Bus at Mbudzi, paying US$8 each for their journey back to Beitbridge. At around 4 a.m. on July 18, as the bus neared Vilivili, Shumba approached the conductor and asked to disembark.

Magugudze, armed with a C75 9mm pistol, then boarded the bus and handed the weapon to Siziba. With the gun in hand, Siziba ordered the driver to pull off the road and switch off the lights, taking the bus to a secluded area.

Dadirayi and Mlaudzi, armed with okapi knives, joined Siziba in terrorizing the passengers, stealing cash and valuables before disembarking. The robbers fired shots in the air as they disappeared into the night.

Later that same day, the trio was arrested after Dadirayi tried to woo a bar lady at Neshuro Business Centre by showing her the pistol and a large sum of money. Unimpressed, the woman immediately notified the police, who swiftly intercepted the suspects. Officers recovered a pistol with two live rounds, Blue Circle Bus tickets, and some of the stolen money. Mlaudzi was arrested the following day, while Magugudze remains on the run.

So far, authorities have only recovered ZAR7,000 and US$550 of the stolen loot.

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