BULAWAYO – Police have launched a massive manhunt for a 27-year-old Bulawayo man who allegedly defrauded vehicle owners of 16 cars valued at US$161,500 in a vehicle-hire scam.
Keith Nyasha Sibanda, of Mahatshula North, allegedly targeted private vehicle owners and car-hire operators between June 2025 and July 2026. He is accused of obtaining vehicles after telling their owners that he wanted to hire them for short periods, before extending the agreed rental arrangements and allegedly disposing of the cars.
Police said 13 of the 16 vehicles had been recovered, while efforts were continuing to locate Sibanda and trace the remaining three vehicles. Investigators are also working to establish how the cars were transferred to other people and whether others helped to sell them, accept them as security for loans or alter their ownership details.
Criminal Investigations Department national spokesperson Detective Inspector Rachel Muteweri said Sibanda allegedly gained the confidence of vehicle owners before taking advantage of the extended hire agreements.
“After gaining the confidence of the owners, he would then extend the agreed hire periods before eventually disposing of the vehicles by selling them or using them as collateral to secure loans from different individuals. The complainants lost a total of 16 motor vehicles valued at US$161 500. To date, 13 motor vehicles have been recovered,” said Det Insp Muteweri.
The alleged scheme caused losses for individual owners as well as a Bulawayo car-hire company that said five of its vehicles were taken by Sibanda. A representative of the company said: “This man hired five of our cars and sold them.”
The company has offered a reward for information that leads to Sibanda’s arrest. Police have urged anyone with information about his whereabouts to report to the nearest police station.
Some of the alleged victims have also raised questions about the movement of the vehicles after they were handed over for hire. They said some cars were reportedly sold to buyers who later managed to register them in their own names. One victim questioned how a person could sell vehicles that did not belong to him.
“How does one manage to sell a vehicle that does not belong to him? Some of the buyers are said to have produced supporting affidavits indicating that the vehicle would be theirs, raising suspicions that this could be a syndicate involving other offices,” said the victim.
Another alleged victim said she was traumatised by the loss of her vehicle and concerned by reports that its registration particulars had been changed.
“Changing vehicle particulars involves some security checks to ensure that everything is above board and to prevent such criminality, which we have become victims of,” she said.
The recovery of 13 vehicles is expected to help detectives reconstruct the alleged transactions and determine how the cars moved from their original owners to subsequent holders. Police have warned members of the public to carry out thorough ownership checks before buying vehicles or accepting them as collateral.
Det Insp Muteweri said: “Anyone with information regarding Sibanda’s whereabouts should report to any nearest police station. As police, we also warn members of the public against purchasing vehicles or accepting them as collateral without carrying out thorough checks to establish ownership and ensure that all documentation and transfer procedures are legitimate.”
Assistant commissioner operations Didmus Sakarombe attended the meeting, where officials called on car-park operators to strengthen security and improve the records kept for vehicles and drivers. They were urged to increase surveillance, record registration details carefully and maintain closer communication with police when suspicious activity was detected.
The police engagement reflected the growing concern over the repeated targeting of a vehicle model that is widely used by residents in Bulawayo. Owners often rely on public or private parking areas while visiting shops, workplaces, markets and other busy locations. Better records and functioning surveillance systems can help investigators identify the movements of suspects and establish when a vehicle was last seen.
The Honda Fit cases have also included the stripping of stolen vehicles for parts. In one case, a 19-year-old Bulawayo man, Brendon Moyo, pleaded guilty to stealing a Honda Fit that had been left with a mechanic for engine repairs.
The court heard that the car was taken from the workshop on May 15, 2026. It was allegedly towed to a house in Pumula South, where Moyo and two female accomplices stripped it of parts, including the axle, gearbox, rear lights, front bumper and bonnet. Detectives from the Vehicle Theft Squad later arrested Moyo and recovered the vehicle shell at a house in Nkulumane.
In a plea for leniency, Moyo said: “I faced many challenges growing up, which led me to resort to stealing.” He added: “This is my first offence and I ask the court to be lenient with me.”
Another Bulawayo case involved a 14-year-old learner who was sentenced to three years after admitting to several vehicle thefts. The teenager repeatedly targeted Honda Fit vehicles in different suburbs, with incidents reported in Entumbane, Nkulumane and Emakhandeni.
The court heard that one Honda Fit was stolen from a car park in Entumbane on April 26, 2026. Three days later, another was taken in Nkulumane and was later abandoned after running out of fuel. A further vehicle was reported stolen in Emakhandeni.
In the most unusual incident, the teenager entered Entumbane Police Station on May 12, 2026, and stole a Honda Fit belonging to a police officer. He drove the car around Bulawayo for several days before abandoning it. Investigations by the Vehicle Theft Squad eventually linked him to the series of thefts.
In passing sentence, Bulawayo regional magistrate Patience Ururu said: “You are very young but your actions defy your age.” She added: “When you were released to your parents after you were initially arrested, you went on to steal again.”
The cases show the different ways in which stolen vehicles can be handled after they are taken. Some are abandoned, some are stripped for valuable parts and others can be moved to new holders or across borders. The alleged Sibanda scam involved vehicles being obtained through hire agreements rather than being taken from streets or parking areas, but the result was similar for the owners: cars were not returned and their value was lost.
Vehicle theft has also become a cross-border law-enforcement concern. In September 2025, the National Anti-Smuggling Task Force intercepted a Toyota Lexus LX570 at the Bubi roadblock. The vehicle had been reported stolen in South Africa, and two men believed to be linked to a smuggling syndicate were arrested.
Police said the Lexus appeared to have entered Zimbabwe through an illegal crossing along the Limpopo River. Investigators were examining its final destination and the wider network involved. Authorities have said some stolen vehicles are rental cars from South Africa that are moved into Zimbabwe before being taken onwards to countries including Malawi and Mozambique, or sold locally.
The cross-border nature of such cases makes vehicle verification important for buyers and lenders. A car may be presented with documents and a convincing explanation of how it changed hands, while investigators later discover that it was stolen or fraudulently transferred. Vehicles accepted as collateral can create similar problems when the person offering them has no lawful authority to use them as security.
In May 2026, a South African man was sentenced to an effective 18 years in prison after being convicted of stealing a Toyota Hilux and attempting to smuggle it through Beitbridge. The vehicle, valued at about R900,000, had been reported stolen in Pretoria. He was intercepted while driving along the N1, and evidence before the court showed that he intended to take the vehicle through the Beitbridge border crossing.
Back in Bulawayo, police investigations into the 16-vehicle case are continuing. Detectives are seeking information that could lead them to Sibanda and help them recover the remaining vehicles. They are also expected to examine the ownership records and documents connected to the recovered cars.
Police have appealed to people who may have bought, received or handled any of the vehicles to cooperate with investigators. Members of the public who know where Sibanda is should report the information to any police station. The manhunt remains active as investigators work to account for all 16 vehicles and establish the full extent of the alleged vehicle-hire operation.