A Bulawayo accountant walked into an armed robbery at a Woodlands warehouse and lost US$4,800 after gunmen had already tied up workers and begun ransacking the premises, while a separate home invasion in Cowdray Park left three occupants robbed at gunpoint.
The two incidents, which happened within a day of each other, involved armed men targeting both a business and a private home. In the Woodlands raid, five suspects escaped with US$16,310 and 800 Chinese yuan after threatening employees, disabling CCTV equipment and forcing one worker to open a secure office. In Cowdray Park, two robbers took cash, mobile phones and a sound-bar speaker after forcing a man back into his house at gunpoint.
The Woodlands robbery happened at about 2.25pm on August 22 at a company specialising in aluminium products. The 24-year-old accountant arrived at the warehouse unaware that five armed men were already inside and in control of the premises.
The suspects intercepted and searched him before taking the US$4,800 he was carrying in his wallet. Police said the robbery had begun moments earlier when two men entered the premises pretending to be customers looking for metal doors.
Three more men then stormed in, shut the main door and put on black balaclavas. The suspects produced pistols, threatened to shoot a 33-year-old administrator and demanded cash.
They searched a chest of drawers and took US$170 and US$40 from her handbag before forcing her to the warehouse, where six employees were being held. The workers were ordered to lie on their stomachs, and their hands were tied behind their backs using tyre cables.
“The accused persons found six of her workmates who were in the factory and forced them to lie down on their stomachs before tying their hands behind their backs using tyre cables,” said Insp Msebele.
The robbers then forced one of the employees to use his thumb to open an office secured by a biometric passcode. They grabbed US$2,000 and disconnected the company’s CCTV cables before going upstairs to two bedrooms, which they ransacked.
Another US$9,300 and 800 Chinese yuan were taken during the raid. The suspects then fled with the cash and other valuables as police launched investigations into the robbery.
Less than 24 hours earlier, at about 9.45pm on August 21, armed men had stormed a home in Cowdray Park. A 56-year-old woman was at the house with two men when one of them went outside to check on a Honda Fit parked in the yard.
He was confronted by two unidentified men armed with two pistols, a knife and a large torch. The suspects grabbed him by his belt and force-marched him back into the house, where they ordered all three occupants to lie down.
The robbers threatened to shoot anyone who resisted before searching the house for money. One suspect forced the woman into her bedroom and searched the room. She then led him to the kitchen, where she handed over R13,100 and US$20.
The suspects also took mobile phones belonging to the two men and a sound-bar speaker before fleeing. Nothing had been recovered when the incident was reported to police.
Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Nomalanga Msebele confirmed the home robbery and appealed to anyone with information to come forward.
“We appeal to members of the public with information that may lead to the arrest of the accused persons to come forward and report at any nearest police station,” she said.
The latest attacks came as police continued responding to a series of armed robberies targeting homes, small businesses and cash-handling outlets across Bulawayo. Between July 13 and 17, three separate raids in Emganwini, Cowdray Park and the city centre resulted in more than US$64,000 and R1,000 being stolen.
On July 13, two armed suspects raided a mobile-money booth at Emganwini Shopping Centre and escaped with US$2,000, Econet airtime worth US$307 and NetOne airtime valued at US$280. Three days later, another mobile-money outlet in Cowdray Park was attacked as employees were closing for the day. The robbers took US$8,653, R1,000 and two transaction phones before locking workers and a customer inside an office.
The largest of the three raids occurred on July 17, when four armed men entered a cash-collection centre along Fort Street while 16 cashiers were reconciling the day’s takings. The employees were ordered to lie on the floor at gunpoint, and the gang escaped with approximately US$53,000.
Police said Bulawayo Province had recorded 38 armed robbery cases between January 1 and July 23. Of those, 21 involved business premises, eight occurred at residential properties and nine took place at other locations.
Officer Commanding Bulawayo Province Commissioner Jasper Chizemo said criminals were closely monitoring cash agents before attacking them. He said many gangs operated in groups, wore masks, carried firearms, knives or machetes and used getaway vehicles.
Businesses were warned that opening and closing times were particularly vulnerable periods. Police urged cash-handling operators to bank frequently, avoid predictable routines, reduce the amount of money kept on their premises and improve lighting. CCTV cameras, alarm systems and panic buttons were also recommended.
“Members of the public are advised to avoid keeping large sums of cash at business premises or in easily accessible areas,” said Insp Msebele.
The Bulawayo robberies were reported as a separate case in Kadoma ended with three men receiving a combined 70 years in prison. The convictions followed a series of raids in which the gang targeted homes and businesses while armed with knives, axes and iron bars.
Misheck Mutetwa, 30, was sentenced to 30 years in prison, while Lordshare Chimanya, 29, and Kudakwashe Mapfiravana, 27, were each sentenced to 20 years by the Kadoma Regional Magistrates’ Court. Philip Urayai represented the State.
Police are still looking for Jimmy Mutetwa, described as an accomplice who remains at large.
Detective Inspector Rachel Muteweri, the Criminal Investigations Department spokesperson, said the men moved from one target to another during the robbery spree.
“The accused persons, together with an outstanding accomplice, Jimmy Mutetwa, embarked on a robbery spree armed with knives, axes and iron bars.
“They later moved to another victim’s residence, forcibly broke the door and gained entry into the house.
“The gang stole cash, cellphones, a laptop, car keys and other valuables.”
One of the Kadoma robberies involved the theft of US$1,000, mobile phones, a laptop and car keys. Detectives received information linking the suspects to the offences on April 30 and arrested the three men. Two laptops, a pellet gun and several mobile phones were recovered.
The Kadoma sentence has added to the pressure on police investigators pursuing outstanding suspects in Bulawayo. The latest attacks have shown how quickly routine activities, from checking a parked vehicle to arriving for work, can turn into violent confrontations.
Police have urged residents, employees and business owners to report suspicious activity and to prioritise personal safety during a robbery. The appeal remains for anyone with information about the Cowdray Park home invasion, the Woodlands warehouse raid or the remaining Kadoma suspect to contact the nearest police station.