A Zimbabwean court has jailed three men for 18 months after they were convicted of robbery with violence at a construction site belonging to the daughter of former President Robert Mugabe.

Robson Kandenga, 45, Peter Mangwiro, 40, and Brighton Chisiko, 20, were found guilty of stealing building materials worth $4,800 and cash, after they stormed the under-construction mansion owned by Ms Bona Chikore.

The trio raided the construction site on December 31, 2017, a month after Mr Mugabe was toppled by the military.

The Harare court heard that the three men, who were armed with metal bars, attacked a police officer who was at the guardroom before seizing his AK47 service riffle. They then proceeded to tie the policeman’s hands and legs with wire.

Kandenga, Mangwiro and Chisiko, the court heard, searched the police officer’s pockets and stole $15 cash as well as a wallet and two mobile phones.

They also stole 80 Chinese-made wooden construction boards and loaded them onto a waiting truck.

They were arrested after police found one of the boards being sold at a market in the capital.

Harare magistrate Tilda Mazhande sentenced the trio to 30 months in jail before suspending 18 months on condition of good behaviour.