BULAWAYO – A multi-million dollar heist, a city on edge, and then – poof! What began as Bulawayo’s biggest arrest in the audacious US$4.4 million Ecobank robbery took a dramatic nosedive on Friday, as a last-minute police blunder exposed critical flaws in the investigation, leading to the release of one suspect.
The promised showdown in court turned into an embarrassing retreat, leaving more questions than answers about the fate of the country’s largest unsolved cash-in-transit heist.
The robbery saw a seven-man gang vanish with millions in a mere 149 seconds, leaving banking staff and bystanders in disbelief. The cash was in the process of being transferred from an Ecobank branch to a security van when the armed robbers struck, executing what has become the most audacious robbery in the country’s history.
The situation escalated dramatically on Friday when police in Bulawayo announced the arrest of two suspects, Sibonginkosi Sibanda and Thokozani Zulu, in connection with the robbery. However, their court appearance, which initially drew significant public interest, was later downplayed by the police, who downgraded the charges from armed robbery to money laundering.
The matter, originally scheduled to be heard in the morning, only commenced around 4PM. Zulu was cleared of all charges, while Sibanda, an employee of Safeguard Security Company, was formally charged with money laundering. Sibanda was remanded in custody until Monday for a bail ruling.
Both Sibanda and Zulu were represented by Prince ButsheDube of Butshe and Associates, who mounted a robust defence, effectively challenging the investigating officer, Detective Assistant Inspector Tawedzerwa Shiriyapenga, during crossexamination and significantly weakening the prosecution’s case.
During the proceedings, Butshe-dube questioned the foundation of the charges, pointing out that the pair had initially been arrested for armed robbery. He pressed Shiriyapenga on why the charges had been altered, despite the original arrest being based on robbery allegations.
Shiriyapenga denied arresting the suspects for robbery — a claim quickly undermined when his affidavit, compiled that very morning, contradicted his statement.
“Earlier you said you did not arrest them for robbery. Yet your affidavit shows the accused was picked up for interviews in a robbery case. Were you being economical with the truth?” Butshe-dube asked pointedly.
Shiriyapenga attributed the discrepancy to a typing error.
Undeterred, ButsheDube continued his line of questioning, exposing further inconsistencies in Shiriyapenga’s testimony.
In court, Shiriyapenga alleged that Sibanda had acquired several properties, some of which were registered under his wife’s and daughter’s names:
- Two houses in Cowdray Park and Mbundane
- Two rural homesteads
- A Hino truck
- A Honda Fit
- Fencing for his Insiza homestead worth US$7 600
“Are you suggesting that a married woman cannot own property? Did you examine the agreements of sale and verify whose name appeared on the documents? Was it not his wife’s? Is there anything that needs to be recovered, as you claim, when everything is properly documented and above board?” Butshe-dube challenged.
But Butshe-Dube tore holes in the claims.
“Have you seen the agreements of sale? Are you aware the properties are properly documented? Do you even understand what constitutes money laundering?” he asked, hammering home the investigative incompetence.
“You are not equipped to investigate this case. You are under-trained and have bungled the process. The charges were initially based on armed robbery, and there is no merit in the money laundering allegations. Do you even understand what money laundering entails? Are you aware of the Commercial Crimes Division? They handle such cases — not you. Yet you seek to deprive a man of his liberty,” Butshe-dube scorned, leaving Shiriyapenga speechless.
Butshe-dube argued that Sibanda was a suitable candidate for bail, citing his clean record and the absence of any evidence linking him to criminal activity. “This case was rushed, mishandled, and is not fit for prosecution,” he concluded.
The heist, still regarded as the largest in the country’s history, remains unsolved. It captured national attention and has left authorities scrambling to piece together clues and apprehend those responsible for the daring theft. With the spotlight now on this latest twist, serious doubts have emerged over whether a crucial lead has been irreparably compromised.
As the net tightens, the nation watches closely to see who else will fall. The arrest comes after the ZRP vehemently denied releasing a list of six men purportedly implicated in the heist, which circulated widely on social media. The alleged list included Elijah Vumbunu (alias Mupositori), Takafa Vumbunu (alias Naison Mahembe), David Sawadye, Israel Zulu, Kudakwashe Mudzingwa (alias Umbro), Paul Chinake, and Brian Murape.
Commissioner Paul Nyathi, the national police spokesperson, stated last year that initial indications suggested “an element of an inside job or leakage of information.” He assured the public that “the law will take its course without fear or favour.”
Just a day after the incident, police released descriptions of the suspects. Assistant Inspector Msebele stated: “The accused persons are seven unknown male adults, six of whom were wearing balaclava masks and one was not wearing any mask. One of the accused persons is approximately 1, 65m in height, light in complexion.”
The brazen heist, which unfolded in broad daylight, saw a seven-man gang vanish with millions in a mere 149 seconds, leaving banking staff and bystanders in disbelief. A female street vendor recounted the events: “He bought chewing gum, but didn’t say anything to me. He kept looking all over the place then suddenly ran in the direction of the bank. When I looked to see why he was running, I saw him wrestling one of the security guards,” she recounted, requesting anonymity. “Everything happened so fast. When I saw guns, I grabbed my stuff and ran in the opposite direction. In a very short space of time, the white pick-up vehicle sped away, turned left at the traffic lights, and disappeared.”
“The suspects ordered the security team to lie down on their stomachs and warned them against raising any alarm. The security team complied, and the accused persons took away their guns. The accused persons dragged three trunks that had cash, loaded them into a getaway vehicle, and drove off at high speed. The suspects also took away the three guns which they had taken from the security team,” she added. The getaway vehicle, a Ford Ranger single cab, sped away along Fife Street towards 10th Avenue.
In addition to the substantial cash, the robbers also made off with two pistols and a shotgun belonging to the security company. Police are deeply concerned about the potential misuse of these stolen firearms in future crimes. A detective from the Vehicle Theft Squad (VTS) revealed that the number plates on the getaway vehicle, AGP2333, belonged to a Mazda Demio. He declined to identify the vehicle owner, citing the ongoing investigation. “Stealing number plates from another car is a modus operandi used by criminals to try and throw off police investigators. The number plates captured in videos circulating online are actually for a Mazda Demio. Criminals usually target vehicles in car parks in Western areas or people that knock off from work at night and park their cars in areas such as Parirenyatwa Street, where it’s easy to steal the number plates,” the detective explained.
Adding to the controversy, reliable sources revealed that two individuals named on the leaked list, David Sawadye and Israel Zulu, are deceased. Sawadye, according to police sources, died in a shootout with detectives in Harare last year. Zulu, meanwhile, was reportedly fatally shot by a How Mine Chief Security Officer during a confrontation in October 2022, following a cash-in-transit robbery involving nearly 12kg of gold.
A relative of Sawadye, who requested anonymity, told The Standard, “If it is true that the police released such a statement, one is left questioning if there is ever such an investigation taking place. If the police made a mistake, the logical thing to do is to issue an apology to the family. We have accepted that we lost our brother under unclear circumstances, but linking him to a crime from his grave cannot be tolerated.”
The leaked list also highlighted the notorious criminal history of Elijah Vumbunu, identified as a prime suspect in the Ecobank robbery. Vumbunu’s criminal record is extensive, including a previous conviction for a ZW$40 million heist in Mutare in 2003, a subsequent prison break from Chikurubi Maximum Prison in 2005, and alleged involvement in the 2022 How Mine gold robbery. He was only recently released from prison on bail pending an appeal against a 40-year sentence. His brother, Takafa Vumbunu, is also a wanted man, with a 62-year sentence for armed robbery. Both brothers, along with their older brother Abraham (also recently released from prison for armed robbery), are known to have engaged in criminal activities since the mid-1990s.
Commissioner Nyathi categorically dismissed the document, stating, “As police, we have not made an official announcement of the suspects. We want to emphasise that we have not stated the suspects. Whoever is dishing out names, or giving out names is communicating information that is not officially from the Zimbabwe Republic Police. This is the correct position. We also want to find out the agenda of the people who are circulating these names. We will issue the names at the appropriate time once we have had a proper position.”
The CCTV footage of the 149-second cash heist at Ecobank Bulawayo continues to circulate, serving as a stark reminder of the audacity of the crime and the challenges facing law enforcement in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
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