In a chilling incident that has highlighted the growing vulnerability of Zimbabweans living in the diaspora, a man returning from South Africa was brutally attacked, stabbed, and robbed of nearly R1 million in the quiet village of Khandamhlope. The targeted assault, which took place in the Madlambuzi area of Matabeleland South, has once again brought the issue of cross-border crime and the safety of “injiva”—as those working in South Africa are locally known—into sharp focus.
The victim, whose identity has been withheld for his safety, was at his home when a gang of eight armed men forced their way into the property while he was asleep. What followed was a terrifying ordeal of violence and coercion. The assailants, clearly acting on precise intelligence regarding the victim’s recent return and the significant sum of money he was carrying, did not hesitate to use force.
According to Detective Assistant Inspector Merylin Muriro, the deputy spokesperson for the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the robbers were relentless. “The suspects forced their way into the victim’s home while he was asleep, stabbing him three times and demanding money and valuables he had brought from South Africa,” she confirmed. The victim, bleeding from three stab wounds, initially attempted to satisfy the gang by surrendering a small box containing an unspecified amount of cash.
However, the robbers were not convinced. They pressed the injured man for more, eventually forcing him to reveal a more substantial hoard hidden beneath the floorboards. In a concealed bucket, the victim had stashed the bulk of his savings—all in South African rand. By the time the gang finished ransacking the house, they had made off with a staggering R900,000 in cash.
The robbery was not limited to currency. The gang also looted two 20-litre containers of paint and two high-end smartphones—a Samsung and an Honor. Notably, the robbers removed the SIM cards from the devices before fleeing, a move typical of seasoned criminals attempting to avoid digital tracking. In a final act of cruelty, the victim was kidnapped from his own home and taken to the residence of one of the suspects before the gang eventually disperse.
This incident is part of a broader, more disturbing trend in Matabeleland South, a province that shares a porous border with South Africa. Recent police reports indicate a 4% rise in armed robbery cases across Zimbabwe, with returnees being prime targets . Only last week, two South African nationals were sentenced in Bulawayo for a daring fuel station robbery, further illustrating the cross-border nature of these criminal syndicates. In another recent case in the same district, a suspect named Kudzanani Tshuma was arrested for a similar “knee-capping” robbery, where victims were shot or stabbed in the legs to prevent pursui.
The swift response from the Criminal Investigations Department has led to the arrest of eight individuals in connection with the heist. During the operation, police managed to recover R239,120 of the stolen funds. The arrested suspects have been identified as Listen Ngwenya (25), Admire Chimondoro (38), Njabulo Ncube (27), and Kholisani Moyo (33), all residents of Madlambuzi. Another suspect, 19-year-old Delight Sibanda, hails from Mpoyi Village. Despite these successes, two key suspects, Bakisai Sibanda and Ntsuna Sibanda, remain at large and are believed to be on the run.
For many in the diaspora, the dream of bringing their hard-earned savings home to build houses or start businesses is increasingly overshadowed by the fear of such targeted violence. The Madlambuzi robbery serves as a grim reminder of the risks faced by those who carry large sums of cash across the border, often to avoid the high fees or complexities of formal banking systems.
As the manhunt for the remaining two suspects continues, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) have urged members of the public to avoid keeping large sums of money at home. For the victim in Khandamhlope, the physical wounds may heal, but the loss of his life savings and the trauma of the night he was hunted in his own bed will likely remain for a lifetime.
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Suspect Name
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Age
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Village/Origin
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Status
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Listen Ngwenya
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25
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Madlambuzi
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Arrested
|
|
Admire Chimondoro
|
38
|
Madlambuzi
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Arrested
|
|
Njabulo Ncube
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27
|
Madlambuzi
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Arrested
|
|
Kholisani Moyo
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33
|
Madlambuzi
|
Arrested
|
|
Delight Sibanda
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19
|
Mpoyi
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Arrested
|
|
Bakisai Sibanda
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–
|
–
|
At Large
|
|
Ntsuna Sibanda
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–
|
–
|
At Large
|
The recovery of nearly a quarter of the stolen money offers some small measure of justice, yet the sheer scale of the theft and the level of violence employed suggest a well-organised criminal network that continues to haunt the border communities of Matabeleland South.
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