Another CASH HEIST: Bulawayo armed robbers raid Jet Store in broad daylight and flee with cash AGAIN

BULAWAYO — The morning rush at the Bulawayo Centre was abruptly interrupted on Wednesday when three armed men executed a clinical raid on a Jet Store, marking yet another brazen entry in the city’s growing ledger of daylight robberies.

At approximately 9:30 a.m., as shoppers were browsing the aisles of the popular clothing outlet on the corner of 9th Avenue and Fort Street, the gunmen moved in. Their target was not the racks of apparel, but a financial services booth operating within the store. In a matter of minutes, the trio had secured an undisclosed amount of cash and vanished into the bustling city centre, leaving staff and customers unharmed but visibly shaken.

By mid-morning, the area was a hive of activity, though of a different sort. Armed response teams from Safeguard Security and officers from the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) had cordoned off the entrance. Investigators in plain clothes moved between the clothing racks, interviewing witnesses and reviewing CCTV footage that captured the latest challenge to the city’s security apparatus.

A Pattern of Precision

This latest incident is not an isolated event. It is part of a relentless surge in armed robberies that has seen Bulawayo emerge as a primary theatre for high-stakes heists. Just weeks ago, a wave of robberies targeted EcoCash outlets across the city’s suburbs, suggesting a shift in tactics by criminal syndicates who are now looking for “soft targets” with high cash turnover.

Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, the Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson, recently detailed a similar raid in the Cowdray Park suburb. In that incident, which occurred on July 16, 2026, three men wearing balaclavas pounced on an outlet as it was preparing to close.

“The supervisor was taking EcoCash signs from the shop veranda intending to close the shop when three unknown male adults wearing balaclavas approached her,” Inspector Msebele said. “The accused persons pushed her from the shop veranda into the shop, closed the shop door, produced an unidentified pistol and ordered the two cashiers who were in the shop to comply.”

In that single raid, the robbers escaped with US$8,653 and R1,000. It followed another attack in Emganwini where US$2,587 was snatched. These smaller, frequent hits are creating a climate of persistent anxiety for small business owners who handle the US dollar and South African Rand — the lifeblood of Zimbabwe’s cash-heavy economy.

The Shadow of the Ecobank Heist

To understand the scale of the problem, one must look back to October 3, 2024, a date that redefined the limits of criminal audacity in Zimbabwe. In broad daylight, a gang of gunmen intercepted a Safeguard Security cash-in-transit (CIT) vehicle outside the Ecobank Parkade branch in Bulawayo. They made off with US$4 million — the largest bank heist in the country’s history and the biggest world-over in the past 10 years.

The Ecobank robbery was a turning point. It proved that syndicates were not only well-armed but possessed intelligence that suggested “inside jobs.” Investigations later confirmed that the heist involved collusion with members of the security detail. The mastermind was identified as Bhekani Mlilo, while two brothers, Abraham and Elijah Temayi Vumbunu, were eventually tracked down and arrested in South Africa.

The Jet Store robbery on Wednesday shares a DNA with these larger crimes: the choice of a high-traffic location, the speed of execution, and the focus on cash-handling points within larger retail spaces. The presence of financial service outlets inside supermarkets and clothing stores provides a convenient “one-stop shop” for customers, but it also creates a vulnerability that robbers are increasingly exploiting.

The Regional Dimension

Investigators are increasingly looking across the border to explain the sophistication of these crimes. The “South African connection” has become a recurring theme in Zimbabwean heist investigations. The porous borders between the two countries allow criminals to flee to South Africa to hide or to recruit seasoned gunmen from the south to carry out hits in Zimbabwe.

The arrest of the Vumbunu brothers in South Africa highlighted the need for regional police cooperation. However, the flow of illegal firearms remains a significant hurdle. Reports suggest that many of the weapons used in these heists are military-grade firearms that have remained in circulation since past military operations or were stolen during periods of political instability.

The statistics tell a grim story. According to police records, over 1,200 armed robbery cases were recorded in 2025 alone. The national crime rate has seen a sharp uptick, rising from 1,532 crimes per 100,000 people in late 2024 to over 2,048 per 100,000 by the first quarter of 2025. Bulawayo, with its proximity to the South African border and its role as a commercial hub, has borne a disproportionate share of this increase.

A Vulnerable Economy

The root of the problem is partially economic. Zimbabwe’s reliance on physical cash — specifically the US dollar — makes every business a potential target. Unlike economies that have transitioned to digital payments, the “greenback” is king in Bulawayo’s markets and shops. This creates a logistical nightmare for security companies and a lucrative opportunity for gunmen.

Business operators at the Bulawayo Centre expressed a mixture of resignation and frustration following the Jet Store raid. Many have invested in CCTV and private security, yet the robberies continue. The speed at which these gangs operate often renders traditional security measures moot. In the Jet Store case, the robbers were in and out before the armed response team could arrive, despite the store being in the heart of the city.

Inspector Msebele has repeatedly urged businesses to change their routines. “We urge business owners to bank money regularly, install CCTV cameras and alarm systems, and avoid leaving one employee responsible for opening or closing premises alone,” she advised during a recent press briefing.

The Human Cost

While the headlines focus on the dollar amounts, the human toll is significant. The staff members at the Jet Store, mostly young men and women, now have to return to work in an environment where they were held at gunpoint. In the Cowdray Park EcoCash robbery, the suspects forced the supervisor and cashiers to lie on the floor in a back office before fleeing. Such experiences leave lasting psychological scars, even when no physical blood is spilled.

The lack of injuries in the Jet Store robbery is being seen by some as a sign of “professionalism” among the thieves. They are not looking for a shootout; they are looking for the money. However, this clinical approach only makes them more dangerous, as it suggests a level of planning and discipline that is difficult for local law enforcement to counter.

The Road Ahead

As the sun set over Bulawayo on Wednesday, the police cordon at the Jet Store was lifted, and the shop prepared to resume business. But the questions remain. How do three armed men walk into a major shopping centre at 9:30 a.m. and walk out with bags of cash without being intercepted?

The answer likely lies in a combination of factors: the proliferation of illegal firearms, the economic desperation that fuels recruitment into gangs, and a security infrastructure that is struggling to keep pace with the evolving tactics of modern syndicates.

The Jet Store heist is “another” entry in a list that is growing too long for comfort. Until there is a systemic crackdown on cross-border gangs and a more robust approach to internal security within the retail sector, the people of Bulawayo will continue to look over their shoulders every time they step into a shop to buy a shirt or pay a bill.

For now, the ZRP continues its hunt for the three men who vanished into the morning air. They are part of a shadow economy that is thriving in the gaps of the formal one — an economy where the only currency is lead and the only law is the speed of the getaway car.

Timeline of Recent Major Heists in Bulawayo:

Security Advice for Businesses:

• Regular Banking: Avoid keeping large sums of cash on-site overnight or for extended periods.
• Staggered Shifts: Ensure multiple staff members are present during opening and closing times.
• CCTV Integration: Use high-definition cameras that are linked to off-site storage to prevent robbers from stealing the footage.
• Silent Alarms: Install panic buttons that are easily accessible to staff but hidden from view.