Zimbabwean Businessman Gets 8-Years In Machingura Armed Robbery Plot As South Africans Cleared

Zimbabwean Businessman Jailed 8 Years For Aiding Robber Godknows Machingura

A Zimbabwean businessman has been sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in a foiled armed robbery plot. This sentence comes over two months after his three South African co-accused were acquitted of all charges in the same high-profile case. The plot centred on the criminal network of the late notorious kingpin, Godknows Machingura. Paul Zhou, 55, was convicted for providing logistical support to Machingura’s gang, while the South African nationals walked free following their acquittal in October 2025.

The final verdict for Zhou, delivered by Harare regional magistrate Taurai Manuwere, marks the end of a tumultuous legal saga that began with a violent police raid in December 2023. Zhou was found guilty on two counts of conspiracy to commit armed robbery for aiding Machingura’s plan to rob businessman Paul Chimbodza.

How The Robbery Plot Unravelled

H-Metro reports that the court heard that Zhou’s involvement was both active and detailed. In November 2022, he took concrete steps to assist Machingura’s preparations to target Chimbodza. According to the magistrate’s summary of the evidence, Zhou was a key facilitator.

Magistrate Manuwere stated:

“Zhou played a significant role, together with slain armed robber Godknows Machingura, and the State has managed to prove that Machingura wanted to rob the complainant. Zhou booked a lodge for Machingura on November 6, 2022, and on November 22, he hired a gold Fortuner for Godknows Machingura.”

The plot was intercepted after police, acting on a tip-off, raided a guest house on Mauritius Road in Arcadia in December 2023. A shoot-out occurred during the raid, leading to the arrest of several suspects and the death of one, Jabulani Ngobeni. Machingura himself was killed in a separate police operation weeks later.

South Africans Acquitted Earlier Amidst Courtroom Drama

The path to the final sentencing was paved by a significant earlier verdict. In October 2025, the three South African men—Ndiafhi Makhado, Andrew Masubelele, and Emmanuel Makamo—were acquitted after a full trial. Their defence, led by lawyer Claude Bare, successfully argued that the state had no evidence linking them to the crime in Harare.

In his ruling at the time, Magistrate Manuwere highlighted the lack of evidence against the South Africans, contrasting it with the clear trail left by Zhou.

He explained:

“Makamo was in South Africa and it’s not in dispute that no one saw him in Harare or at the scene. Makhado and Masubelele were in Zimbabwe as shown on their passports but no one saw them in Harare or at the scene or with Machingura and their alibi that they were in Beitbridge and Bulawayo is reasonable.”

The trial itself was not without controversy. In November 2025, Zhou’s then-lawyer, Musindo Hungwe, withdrew from the case. According to a NewZimbabwe report, Hungwe cited threats from CID Homicide detectives as his reason for quitting.

A Sentence Handed Down

Following the South Africans’ acquittal, Paul Zhou was sentenced on the two conspiracy counts. He received a six-year prison term for each count. Magistrate Manuwere suspended four years of the total sentence on condition of good behaviour. This leaves Zhou with an effective eight-year prison sentence to serve.

The fate of Zhou stands in stark contrast to that of his South African co-accused, whose acquittal two months prior brought an end to their nearly two-year legal ordeal. The case closes a chapter on one of the many criminal schemes linked to the late Godknows Machingura, whose own death in 2023 remains a point of contention for his family.