Two men suspected of involvement in a series of armed robberies in Harare were shot in the legs during a gunfire exchange with detectives in Chitungwiza on Wednesday, November 11.
John Nhira, 40, and Obert Maveza, 29, were arrested at Jambanja Business Centre in Unit C after detectives from the Criminal Investigation Department’s Homicide section received information that they were at the business centre. Both were taken to a local hospital, where they are being treated under police guard.
Police said they recovered an air gun and a Tokarev pistol after the arrests. The pistol had been stolen during a robbery at a house in Ashdown Park, Harare, on July 22.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police said the two men are linked to 10 armed robbery cases in Harare committed between January and September 2026. In a statement, police said: “The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms the arrest of two armed robbery suspects, John Nhira (40) and Obert Maveza (29), in connection with a series of armed robbery cases committed in Harare between January and September 2026,”
The Chitungwiza arrests followed the earlier arrests of Chiedza Jamombe, 36, and Chamunorwa Takawira, 33. Jamombe was arrested in September and Takawira in October. Detectives had previously been looking for Nhira, who was identified during the investigation as one of the men linked to the robbery cases.
The robberies under investigation involved attacks on residents and the theft of cash and household property. In Cold Comfort on August 3, cash and valuables worth about US$8,120 were taken from a house. Another robbery took place in Madokero Estate on September 12, when household property valued at about US$3,100 was stolen.
The Ashdown Park robbery on July 22 was among the cases that drew attention to the firearms allegedly used by the group. The stolen Tokarev pistol was recovered after Nhira and Maveza were arrested. Police have also linked the suspects to attacks in other Harare suburbs, including Houghton Park and Bloomingdale.
Earlier details of the case describe robberies in which groups allegedly entered homes armed with pistols, machetes or iron bars, assaulted or threatened residents, and took money, phones, laptops and other belongings. Victims in some cases were confronted in their bedrooms while the suspects searched their houses.
The incidents span several months, from July through September, and involve homes across the capital. Police have urged people with information that could assist their investigations to contact the National Complaints Desk on (0242) 703631, send a WhatsApp message to 0712 800197, or report to a police station.
The Chitungwiza gunfight is one of several recent incidents in which armed robbery suspects have been shot during police operations. On October 20, in Bulawayo’s Norwood suburb, detectives intercepted three men near Plot 30 while investigating robberies in Umguza. Average Ndlovu, 23, was shot in the chest and later died at United Bulawayo Hospitals. Austin Nkomazana, 23, and Nkosikhona Ndlovu, 23, were arrested.
Police linked the trio to five robberies in Umguza on October 18 and 19. In one case, a woman and her three children were attacked at their home, and the robbers took US$2,000 in cash and valuables worth US$2,460. In another, suspects allegedly broke into a house, stole US$300 and took a Honda Fit. The car was later abandoned after a road accident.
The Norwood operation followed two fatal police shootings on October 6, one in Inyathi and the other in Harare. In Inyathi, Richmond Thomas Ndlovu was shot near Kenilworth Turn-Off on the Bulawayo–Nkayi Road after police said he tried to disarm officers. He was shot in the leg and stomach and died on the way to hospital. Police recovered a Star pistol loaded with seven rounds and a Colombian knife.
The Inyathi shooting followed the recovery of three pistols at Ndlovu’s home in Exchange Village on October 5. Police linked him to four murder and robbery cases between June 5 and September 27. Those cases included the killing of a security guard during a robbery at a service station at Mahamba Business Centre and the theft of US$18,000 from a supermarket at Badala Business Centre.
In the Harare incident, Cosmas Mashavira, 30, was shot dead during a shootout with detectives at the corner of Rosemary Drive and Beatrice Road. Police recovered a 9mm Retay pistol with one round in its magazine. The shooting came after the arrest of three alleged accomplices in connection with robberies in Harare and Chitungwiza.
There have also been earlier fatal shootouts in Chitungwiza and Bulawayo. The Chitungwiza case involving Mugove Chimuti and Ishmael Mutungira took place in July 2023, not November 2026. Detectives tracked the two men to a house in Chitungwiza, where they were killed in a shootout. Police recovered two rifles and two revolvers. At the time, they were wanted in connection with armed robbery cases in several areas, including Chinhoyi, Beatrice, Harare and Norton.
A separate shootout at the corner of Joshua Nkomo Street and 6th Avenue in Bulawayo’s Unity Village dates to August 2021, rather than October 2026. Police intercepted suspects at the location, and one suspected armed robber was killed in the exchange. The operation formed part of a series of investigations into robberies in Bulawayo.
Another Bulawayo shootout that has been placed in the wrong year in some accounts occurred in Fourwinds in August 2021. Six suspects were intercepted while attempting to rob a mining-equipment company director at his home. Three suspects—Arnold Mpofu, Nomore Hove and Thamsanqa Mpofu—died from gunshot wounds. Brian Nkomo and Mthokozisi Moyo were arrested, while Nkosilathi Ncube was taken to hospital with leg injuries.
Investigators linked the Fourwinds group to major robberies, including incidents at Access Finance Bureau de Change and Choppies Supermarket in Parklands. The reported haul from the bureau de change included US dollars and South African rand, while the supermarket robbery involved cash in several currencies.
The Kwekwe shootout along City–Mbizo Road near Zimasco and the Chibuku depot also did not occur in November 2026. It took place in July 2019. Police detectives tracked a group of seven armed robbery suspects to the area. Four died in the exchange of gunfire, two escaped with gunshot wounds and another was treated in hospital under police guard.
The 2019 Kwekwe operation and the 2021 Bulawayo cases are earlier incidents, not part of the current Harare investigation. The confirmed recent cases in this account are the October 6 shootings in Inyathi and Harare, the October 20 Norwood operation and the November 11 Chitungwiza arrests. In the latest case, both suspects survived and are receiving medical treatment as detectives continue their investigation into the 10 robberies.